World Bank finances groundwater management project in India
The World Bank has signed a $450 million loan agreement with the government of India to support the national program to arrest the country’s depleting groundwater levels and strengthen groundwater institutions.
The World Bank-supported Atal Bhujal Yojana – National Groundwater Management Improvement Program will be implemented in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and cover 78 districts.
The program will, among other things, enhance the recharge of aquifers and introduce water conservation practices; promote activities related to water harvesting, water management, and crop alignment; create an institutional structure for sustainable groundwater management; and equip communities and stakeholders to sustainably manage groundwater.
