UPSC Mains 2025 GS3 Q13 — Environment, Groundwater
Examine the factors responsible for depleting groundwater in India. What are the steps taken by the government to mitigate such depletion of groundwater? (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Examine
- Scope keywords
- factors responsibledepleting groundwaterIndiasteps taken by the governmentmitigate such depletion
- Implicit sub-parts
- Current status of groundwater stress (citing Central Ground Water Board data)
- Sectoral analysis of depletion (Agriculture vs. Industrial vs. Urbanization)
- Critical evaluation of why existing government schemes (like Atal Bhujal Yojana) face implementation challenges
- Suggesting innovative way-forward measures like crop diversification and community-led management
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing only on 'over-extraction' without mentioning 'recharge failure' or quality issues like arsenic/fluoride contamination.
- Writing a generic list of water schemes without categorizing them into supply-side and demand-side interventions.
- Failing to mention the legal/policy loophole of 'land ownership' where the landowner owns the water underneath, leading to unregulated extraction.
- Ignoring the role of MSP and power subsidies in incentivizing water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane.
- Dimensions required
- Environmental/HydrologicalEconomic/Policy (Subsidies & MSP)Legal/InstitutionalTechnological (Micro-irrigation)Geographical (Regional variations like Punjab vs. Peninsular India)
- Marks allocation hint
Devote approximately 100 words to the 'factors', ensuring a mix of natural and man-made causes. Use 100 words for government steps, categorizing them into legislative (Model Groundwater Bill), financial (Atal Bhujal), and technical (PMKSY) measures. Use the remaining 50 words for a concise introduction with data and a forward-looking conclusion.
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