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This book deals with the challenges for efficient groundwater management, with a focus on South Asia and India, providing a balanced presentation of theory and field practice using a multidisciplinary approach. Groundwater of South Asia is increasingly confronted with overuse and deteriorating quality and therefore requires urgent attention. Management of the stressed groundwater system is an extremely complex proposition because of the intricate hydrogeological set-up of the region. Strategies for sustainable management must involve a combination of supply-side and demand-side measures depending on the regional setting and socio-economic situations. As a consequence, the challenges of the efficient groundwater management require not only a clear understanding of the aquifer configuration, but also demand for the development of a comprehensive database of the groundwater occurrences, flow system in each hydrogeological setting. In addition drilling and well construction methods, that are appropriate to different hydrogeological formations, need to be implemented as well as real- time monitoring of the status of the groundwater use. Also corrective measures for groundwater that is threatened with depletion and quality deterioration need to be installed. Finally the legal framework of groundwater needs to be rearticulated according to the common property aspect of groundwater. These challenges should revolve around effective groundwater governance by creating an atmosphere to support and empower community-based systems of decision-making and revisit the existing legal framework and groundwater management institutions by fostering community initiatives. This book is relevant for academics, professionals, administrators, policy makers and economists who are concerned with various aspects of groundwater science and management.

Content: 1. Problems and challenges for groundwater management in South Asia/Pradip K. Sikdar. 2. Groundwater resources of India: potential, challenges and management/Dipankar Saha and Ranjan K. Ray. 3. Application of geophysical techniques in groundwater management/Bimalendu B. Bhattacharya. 4. Environmental isotopes in groundwater applications/Sudhir Kumar. 5. Geostatistics in groundwater modeling/Bhabesh C. Sarkar. 6. Application of remote sensing and geographical information system in groundwater study/Surajit Chakraborty. 7. Numerical groundwater modeling/Pradip K. Sikdar. 8. Development and management of coastal aquifer system through seawater intrusion modeling/Subrata Halder. 9. Spring protection and management: context, history and examples of spring management in India/Jared Buono. 10. Water well drilling, well construction and well development/Ashis Chakraborty. 11. Pumping test for aquifers: analysis and evaluation/Pradip K. Sikdar. 12. Arsenic in groundwater/John M. McArthur. 13. Arsenic contaminated irrigation water and its impact on food chain/Saroj K. Sanyal. 14. Fluoride pollution in groundwater/Paulami Sahu. 15. Human health hazards due to arsenic and fluoride contamination in drinking water and food chain/Gautam Ghosh and Dipak K. Mukhopadhyay. 16. Arsenic and excess fluoride removal in public water supply: key issues and challenges/Arunabha Majumder. 17. Impact of climatic stress on groundwater resources in the coming decades over South Asia/Rajib Chattopadhyay, Surajit Chakraborty and Atul K. Sahai. 18. Rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge of groundwater/Ajoy Kumar Misra. 19. Hydrogeological assessment for development and management of baseflow for public water supply in semi-arid and fluoride affected hard rock areas/Pradip K. Sikdar, Shouri Dutta, Saheb Das, Surajit Chakraborty and Utsab Ghosal. 20. Groundwater pricing and groundwater markets/Achiransu Acharyya. 21. Legislation for effective groundwater management in South Asian countries/Tapan K. Ray. 22. Catalyzing peoples’ participation for groundwater management/Ayan Biswas. 23. Way forward and future strategies/Pradip K. Sikdar. Index.