Megacity Expansion, Recharge Deficit, Groundwater Depletion and City Sustainability in Ahmedabad

Abstract

Indian megacities have massive population concentration due to rapid population growth in the
wake of unprecedented globalization and reinforced tendency of economic centralization. India has eight
megacities namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune
ranging in population from 5 million to over 20 million persons. These cities, together account for a huge
urban population of nearly 100 million persons. Most of these cities sustain on the groundwater resources
of their immediate environment. There is enormous water mining because the per-capita domestic water
demand is highest in the megacities due to consumer oriented lifestyle and higher purchasing power of the
people. In addition to it, the industrial-commercial water demand is also very high. On the other hand, the
megacities have burgeoning built-up surfaces. The built-up surfaces induce run-off losses and prevent
groundwater absorption and recharge. Consequently, the water discharge-recharge balance is heavily
distorted. It leads to continuous groundwater depletion underneath and the immediate surroundings.
Even more alarming would be the future scenario of diminishing water sustainability in the megacities of
India. Further, most of these megacities are the capitals of their respective states. These are the prestigious
cities of India. Acute water shortages would lead to social unrest and political instability in the developed
states of India. The main objectives of this paper are to analyse the population growth and areal expansion of these cities to estimate the problems of water shortages and its consequences.