Sidana, Baljinder KaurSharma, Yogita2021-03-092021-03-092020Sharma, Yogita (2020). Assessing the Impact of Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009 on groundwater levels in Punjab (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810162200The present study was conducted to study the groundwater table behaviour and the impact of Punjab Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009 on groundwater levels in Punjab. Secondary data from various sources for the time period from 1996 to 2018 was retrieved to accomplish the objectives of the study. The state has witnessed a fall in water table @ 0.43 metres per year during the last 22 years; with a serious fall @ 0.59 metres per year in Central zone. Only 2.62 per cent of wells were under water table depth of 20-40 m in 1996, which has increased to 41.88 per cent; thereby showing an increase of 16 times. A complete swap over of the area of the region under water table depth from non-critical stage to critical stage has been observed as only 10 per cent of the state area is now under water table depth of 0-5 m, 51 per cent of area under 5-10 m and 34 per cent of the area under the water table depth of more than 10 m. The groundwater balance has decreased from 0.027 m ha m in 1997 to -1.063 m ha m in 2017; turning the net groundwater availability to -14.58 bcm in 2017. The percentage of over-exploited blocks has increased to 79 per cent with only 16 per cent safe blocks. To study the impact of the Act, the time frame was divided into two periods viz. pre-act (1999 to 2008) and post-act (2009 to 2018). Difference-in-Difference (DiD) approach was employed to study the impact. The DiD estimates showed that even after the enactment of the Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009; the annual groundwater depth lowered by 1.48 metres in high rice growing areas. Addition of new crops in cropping pattern along with water use restrictions and placing of maximum limit on cultivation of water intensive crops can be adopted to check the declining groundwater levels.EnglishThesis