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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN DISTRICTJHUNJHUNU, RAJASTHAN, INDIA
Jyoti Chouhan
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geography,
Vedanta P.G Girls' College, Reengus (Sikar), Rajasthan, India.’
Email: jyoti.chouhan218@gmail.com

How to cite this paper:
Chouhan,Jyoti(2023)
Climate Change Impact on
Groundwater Resources inDistrict Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan,India, Journal of Global
Resources, Vol. 09 (01)DOI:
10.46587/JGR.2023.v09i01.011

Received: 11 Sep. 2022
Reviewed: 30 Oct. 2022
Final Accepted: 09 Dec. 2022

Abstract: Climate change will affect our lives through its
impact on our health, water resources, food, naturalenvironment and economy. One of the primary effects ofclimate change is the disruption of the water cycle. Since somuch of everyday life and planning is determined byhydrological systems, it is important to understand the impactthat climate change is having on drinking water supplies,
sanitation, food and energy production. This paper is about the
impact of climate change on the Ground water resources,
mainly it has focused on the water resources of Jhunjhunu(Rajasthan) area. The main source of water is ground water inthis area. Ground water is an important source of water supply
throughout the world and it is the main source of drinking waterin the most of the rural areas. The quality of ground water is
continuously changing as a result of climatic change andhuman activities. The main essence of this study is to explore
the overall aspects of water resources and its impact on thepeople that are using the resources. This study finds the
problems faced by the people on water resources, sources ofwater resources, pattern of rainfall and how the people will deal
with those consequences. This study predicts the intensity ofrainfall will increase due to climate change. Issues that need
to be addressed with respect to climate change/variability insustainable water resources planning and management are
discussed. We find that a comprehensive and detailed
understanding, clear assessment of the impact of climatechange on water resources are required to reach a definitive
conclusion and explanation of the trends to understand abetter policy actions.
Key words: Climate Change effects, Ground Water
Resources, Management.

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Introduction
Climate change directly and indirectly impact on multiple sectors including water resources,
agriculture, regional, human system, food security & health etc. Climate change
consequences related to water resources are increase in temperature, precipitation patterns.
Ground water recharge may also be affected with reduction in the availability of ground water
for drinking water in same regions. Climate change generally impacts on renewable groundwater recharge. Resources that are fed by diffuse ground water recharge (recharge associatedwith rain fall across the landscape) and localised ground water recharge (recharge associatedwith water losses from rivers and flood plains) both of which are largely depend on annual
rainfall and its seasonal distribution. Water is invaluable gift of nature and the existence of only
living beings rests on it. With the change of time, excessive exploitation of this natural
resource and lack of rainfall are leading to water crisis in the state.
Rajasthan is the largest state in India. Due to low availability and scarcity of surface
water in the state, about 90 percent of drinking water schemes and 60 percent irrigation works
are based on ground water. Our ancestors understood the importance of water in the state
and were doing the strong water management from the very beginning. Since the last 40-50
years, when the state government took the responsibility of managing drinking water andstarted getting this water at a very low price without any labour, we forget its importance andalso stopped the rainwater harvesting that our ancestors were doing for years. Along with this,due to indiscriminate drainage of ground water and fall in ground water recharge fromrainwater, the ground water level of the state started falling rapidly. The ground water situationof the last years of the state indicates how we are moving towards a serious ground watercrisis. While 86 percent of the areas used to be in the safe category in the year 1984, currently
only 13 percent of the areas fall under the safe category. Currently 198 out of 237 blocks arein the Dark category.
Study Area
The study area is located in the North -western part of India and Jhunjhunu district is locatedin the state of Rajasthan which comes under western part of India. Jhunjhunu has a latitudeof 28°7'48"N and a longitude of 75°23'60"E or 28.13 and 75.4 respectively. Jhunjhunu district
comprises of 5928 sq. km. geographical area, having 535 sq. km (9 percent) is hilly area
considered not suitable for water recharge and balance 5393 sq. km is mappable area
inclusive of 120 sq. km is saline area. The administrative set up of the district bus given below.
The district falls within Shekhawati region. Jhunjhunu district is located in North-Eastern
Rajasthan with Churu to its the North-West, Hissar and Mahendragarh (Hariyana) on its NorthEast and by Sikar to it’s in the South, South East and West.
Objective & Methodology
This study finds the problems faced by the people on water resources, sources of water
resources, pattern of rainfall. This study predicts the intensity of rainfall will increase due toclimate change based on 36-year climate data of Jhunjhunu. Data Collection was done fromthe Secondary data through to two main sources of ground water data were used for the
purpose of this work–• 1.Data from the central ground water Board (CGWB)• 2.Data from Rajasthan Ground water Department (READ)

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Figure 01: Study Area Map

Source: www.researchgate.net

Jhunjhunu District Climate and Rainfall
The climate of the district can be classified as semi- arid. This location is classified as BSh by
Koppen and Geiger. It is characterized by very hot summers and very cold winters with poor
rainfall during south- west monsoon period. In May and June, the maximum temperature may
sometimes go up to 48 C. The Winters are quite pleasant in Jhunjhunu with minimum
temperature is 0 C. The normal annual rainfall is 479.44 millimetre, about 12.7 of the annual
rainfall is in sandy area and 7 percent of the water in rocky area goes in to the land, whichcollected about 244 million cubic meters of ground water but 556 million cubic meters ofground water area being exploited. Drinking water scheme and irrigation works in the district
are based on ground water. About 92 percent of the maximum water is spend in agriculture,
7 percent in drinking water and rest in industries and other activities. The annual rainfall of the
district based on 36-year data (1971-2006), Following Table shows the average climate data
Jhunjhunu, both the long-term and short-term.
Table 01: Climate data of Jhunjhunu District

Source: Central Ground Water Board

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GROUND WATER SCENARIO
Hydrogeology
Quaternary alluvium is the principal water bearing formation in Jhunjhunu District. Besides,
hard rocks of Delhi Super Group including post Delhi Intrusive form ancillary aquifers in
Jhunjhunu. Alluvium (composed of sand, silt, clay, kankar and gravel) forms the principal andpotential aquifer in the area. Area and thickness of sediments varies widely from 15 to 140 m
whereas saturated thickness varies from 30 to 70 meter. Ground water occurs under
unconfined to semi-confined conditions in the primary porosity i.e., pore spaces. Aquifer
system is present to a depth of 100 m in general. The depth to water level varies from 7.53 to
75 m below ground level(fig:3). In Jhunujhunu town, groundwater occurs under alluvial
conditions and thickness of alluvium ranges from 80 to 100 m. Groundwater table is very deepin the town, and ranges between 70 to 80m..According to Central Ground Water Board(CGWB) Report of Jhunjhunu District (2008), ground water is alkaline in nature. The electricalconductivity ranges between 450 and 3000 ms/cm. Fluoride and Nitrate concentration is morethan permissible limit (1.5 mg/l and 45 mg/l respectively) in some of parts of Jhunjhunu and insome other parts of the district.
Ground Water Resources of Jhunjhunu district
Jhunjhunu district is covered under mainly Shekhawati basin and North western part falls
under the outside the basin i.e., having inland drainage. The area is drained mainly by Kantaliriver. The area in the South Eastern part is drained by Singhana river and a small area inSouth western corner of district is drained by Budhi Nala, the South and east of hill ranges in
Khetari area is drained by Dohana river. All the river nalas are ephemeral in nature and flows
in response to heavy precipitation during monsoon. Being a desert terrain particularly in Northeastern and North western part of district has inland drainage. Another physical impact that isoften associated with excavation is the effect on drainage and the local water table if
groundwater and surface water collect in the voids. In Jhunjhunu groundwater is much deeper
than the proposed trenching depth, and rains are scarce and limited to very short duration
during monsoon. However, to ensure that water will not pond in pits and voids near project
location, the construction contractor will be required to conduct excavation works in nonmonsoon season to the maximum extent possible. The dynamic groundwater resources as
per ground water estimation 31.03.2013 is furnished below in table 2.
Table 02: Ground Water Resources, Jhunjhunu District
Ground Water
Irrigation Draft
Availability
(MCM)
(MCM)
Alsisar26.7296
17.7706
Buhana26.642540.3020
Chirawa
5.67655.2762
Jhunjhunu
32.3191
45.5782
Khetri
5.02679.1164
Nawalgarh
17.8170
44.3556
Surajgarh
22.843753.4720
Udaipurwati
29.851456.5182
Total
250.7626
462.6845
Source: Central Ground Water Board
Block

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Domestic/Industrial
Draft (DCM)
9.14989.9937
3.106913.1006
1.059210.4390
11.4982
15.5900
104.0513

Gross
(MCM)
26.9204
50.2957
8.383158.6788
10.175654.7949
64.970272.1082566.7358

Draft

Stage (
percent)
100.71
188.78147.68181.56202.43307.54284.41241.56226.00IMPACT OF NATURAL CALAMITY ON GROUND WATER RESOURCE
Influence on Ground Water recharge due to change in precipitation andevapotranspiration:
Climate change affects surface water resources directly through changes in the major longterm climate variables such as air temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration The
greater variability in rainfall could mean more frequent and prolonged periods of high or low
groundwater levels. The direct effect of climate change on groundwater resources depends
upon the change in the volume and distribution of groundwater recharge. Therefore,
quantifying the impact of climate change on groundwater resources requires not only reliable
forecasting of changes in the major climatic variables, but also accurate estimation ofgroundwater recharge. Rainfall pattern is changing and trend show that decrease in rainfall
and increase in temperature in the district. Surface water availability is limited and there is noproper estimation available in Jhunjhunu District. the district is covers under Shekhawati river
basin and 60 percent area falls in outside basin the drainage system is limited so surface wateraccording has become difficult. However, there is ample scope for rainwater harnessing.
Scanty and irregular rainfall conditions have resulted in poor recharge to ground water climate
projections indicate further decrease in rainfall in the future which will further limit the rechargeof ground water resources.
Effect on ground water availability in alluvial aquifers due to increase and decrease inflood events:
The main source of groundwater is Floods Rainwater and meltwater which infiltrates
downward through the pore spaces of surficial materials and collects in large quantity inaquifers of varying sizes and locations. Floods are an important source of groundwater
recharge in most of the world's dry lands. Appropriate management practices, flooding canbenefit the ecology of arid and semi-arid regions. Recharge is the portion of infiltration thatreaches the water table after passing through the soil profile. The area is drained mainly byKantli River. The area in the south eastern part is drained by Singhana river and a small area
in south western corner of district is drained by Budhinala. The south and east of hill ranges
in Khetri area is drained by Dohana River. All the rivers/nalas are ephemeral in nature andflows in response to heavy precipitation during monsoon. Being a desertic terrain particularly
in north eastern and north western part of district has inland drainage. but due to Rainfall
pattern is changing and trend show that decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature in
the district. The volume of water in the Kantali river has decreased since 1982. Groundwaterlevels have been reduced by about 30-40 feet in the last 35 years. The drainage system islimited so surface water according has become difficult.
Reduced groundwater levels due to drought:
The total ground water area is 744.96 sq. km. There is mainly a single aquifer (ground waterarea). The total sandy area is 744.98 sq. km. Average annual rainfall is 405 mm. The
groundwater level ranges from 41 m to 62 m. There is only Kantali river in the area which is
the rainy river. Groundwater reserves are recharged only by rainwater. The fall in ground waterlevel is 0.83 meters per year. As a result of the fall in groundwater recharge from rainwater,
the ground water level of the state started falling rapidly. The ground water situation of the lastyears of the state indicates how we are moving towards a serious ground water crisis. The
average groundwater level in Jhunjhunu district was 36 meters in 1995, which has fallen to 48
meters in the year 2010. This has increased the electricity expenditure. Tube wells and wells
have dried up, and are drying up. This has led to drinking water crisis along with irrigation in112the village. There is a drastic reduction in ground water level. decrease in the discharge ofwells, borewells etc. and drying up of them, high expenses on electricity, etc. are causingcrisis.
Ground Water Development and Management Strategy
1. 1 As the district has 200.05 percent stage of ground water development (all the blocks
except Alsisar rest in over-exploited category having 107.41 percent to 314.78 percent
stage of ground water development), thereby leaving little scope of further ground water
development for irrigation except for drinking purpose which may be taken up only in very
restricted and planned way to avoid becoming further over-exploited.
2. 2 Ground water should be used judiciously taking in to account of modern agriculture water
management techniques by cultivating crops requiring less watering and use of sprinkler
system and drip irrigation should be encouraged.
3. 3 A modern agriculture management must be taken into account for effective water
management techniques involving economic distribution of water maintaining minimum
pumping hours and also be selecting most suitable cost-effective crop pattern i.e., forgetting maximum agriculture production through minimum withdrawal. Adopting proper soil
and water management even the ground water with somewhat dissolved solids (TDS) may
also be suitable for irrigation for salt tolerant crops in the area having high salinity.
4. 4.Desalination and fluorosis plants may be installed in the areas /villages facing groundwater salinity and fluoride hazards.
5. 5.Area is underlined by unsaturated moderate thickness of alluvial which provides
sufficient scope of artificially augmentation of the ground water body as alluvial formation
has very good storage and transmission capacity in the district. In the district, there is
rainfall of about 2878.64 mcm considering the area and average annual rainfall. Out of
this, 235.1238 mcm is annual natural recharge as per the ground water. The above data
indicate the availability of surplus water which can be used for artificial recharge throughthe various techniques feasible in alluvial and hard rock terrain.
Conclusion
Rainfall pattern is changing and trend show that decrease in rainfall and increase intemperature in the district. Surface water availability is limited and there is no proper estimation
available in Jhunjhunu District. The stage of ground water development of the district is 200.05
percent which reflects excessive withdrawal of ground water in comparison of recharge,
resulting in depletion of ground water levels and reduction in yields of wells. In view of this,three blocks viz. Buhana, Chirawa and Surajgarh in Jhunjhunu district have already been
notified by Central Ground Water Authority, New Delhi for regulation and control of groundwater development. Now regulation on ground water use in the area should be implemented
effectively.
Suggestion“Work will have to be done on the notion of 'Save as much as you can - you will get more'.”At the household / personal level:
1. Reuse of domestic discharged water in garden and do not waste water from domestictaps.
2. Use small size utensils and appropriate amount of water for cooking. While cooking
cover the vessel so that water loss can be saved from evaporation.
3. To stop cutting of trees and plants for cooking, so that average annual rainfall canincrease, as well as soil conservation will also happen.

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4. Make arrangements for rainwater harvesting in homes, so that the pressure of tapping
ground water for domestic work can be reduced.
5. To recharge ground water from rainwater in every house, a recharge structure shouldbe created so that groundwater reserves can be increased.
Agricultural sector level:
1. Adopting sprinkler and drizzle irrigation system to save 40 to 60 percent of water.
2. About 30 to 40 percent of water can be saved by growing crops with low water usage.
3. Use appropriate fertilizers and pesticides in appropriate quantities so that pure water
can be saved from pollution.
4. Recharge by dug well/percolation pit in agriculture farm. In hard rock terrain nalabunding, anicuts, dug wells, percolation tanks etc. are feasible structures which may
be used to recharge the ground water body. Technical guidance is provided to variousorganizations as and when approached
At the industrial level:
1. To make recycling required for reuse of 80 percent of the water used by all industries.
2. Artificial ground water recharge should be mandatory in all industries.
3. 3.Roof top/paved area rain water harvesting for recharge to ground water in urban andindustrial area.
At community level:
1. Make the water filled around tube wells / hand pumps etc. by making recharge
structures, artificially recharge ground water and do not let this filled / collected watergo waste.
2. After calculating the annual groundwater recharge due to rainfall, decide for yourself
how much groundwater is to be removed.
3. Use of unused wells, tube wells, hand pumps etc. for groundwater artificial recharge.
4. Renovation of village ponds, stepwells etc. in which rainwater can be collected andused. This work can also be done under MNREGA scheme.
5. Implementing effective methods of minimizing evaporation rate of surface water suchas ponds.
6. Mass awareness programmes should be arranged at local level to make common
mass aware of importance of ground water resources, its better practices of use indomestic, irrigation and industrial fronts, present status of ground water scenario, itsconservation etc.
7. Training programmes should be arranged at local level to teach the common mass ofvarious techniques of artificial augmentation to ground water resources.
References
1. Central Ground Water Board Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, Report on
National Aquifer Mapping Programme (July,2017), District Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
2. Central Ground Water Board (2008) Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, Ground
Water Brochure-Nov 2008, District Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
3. Article (Published: 14 July 2017), Flood Effect on Groundwater Recharge on a Typical Silt Loam
Soil, China.
4. Rajasthan Urban Sector Development Program, Government of Rajasthan for the AsianDevelopment Bank, Water Supply and Sewerage in Jhunjhunu.
5. Panchayat Samiti, bhujalsthiti, Jila Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan
6. Professor H. S Sharma and Dr. M. L Sharma, Geography of Rajasthan (2005), Panchshil
Publication., Jaipur Rajasthan
7. United States Environmental Protection Agency,
8. https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-water resources_.html
9. Central Ground Water Board (2010). Ground Water Scenario of India 2009-10. Ministry of
Water Resources, Government of India.

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