Review of legal and policy framework for groundwater governance in India

The existing legal and policy framework concerning groundwater (GW) and its governance is composed of a large number of different acts, rules, and principles adopted and enacted over the years at the national, state, and local level. The evolution of sucha framework in India can be studied under three broad categories: pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial. This paper examines the historical development of water resources management and the corresponding evolution of legal framework at the national level even though water is a 'State Subject' under the constitution of India. An attempt has been made to assess how far the existing legal framework for water management can address the critical issues and concerns relating to GW in India owing to its increasing scarcity, mismanagement, and environment-related problems.