Groundwater Accessibility and Irrigation Equity among Different Farm Size Groups: A Comparative Study of Irrigation Systems in Karnal District, Haryana, India

Groundwater accessibility is one of the most critical factors in modern agriculture. In Haryana, groundwater overdraft and increasing land fragmentation are raising the cost of groundwater withdrawal for irrigation and creating inequalities in access for farmer communities. Therefore, it is necessary to study groundwater accessibility and its utilisation for irrigation across different farmer groups in Haryana. Karnal district was selected as the study area. Three irrigation systems (villages) were selected for the survey using purposive sampling. A total of 300 households were selected using simple random sampling. The primary data were collected through schedules, focus group discussions, and interviews from May to September 2019. Groundwater accessibility was examined using two parameters: economic and physical accessibility. The results show that physical and economic access to groundwater resources is disproportionately concentrated among large farmers, who comprise 28% of the farmers but account for 51.42% of total groundwater use. The physical and economic scarcity of water for marginal and small-scale farmers is worsening. The Gini concentration ratio (GCR) and coefficient of variation (CV) were used to measure income inequality across irrigation systems, and the Lorenz curve (LC) was used to illustrate it. The results show that the lowest net returns (per acre) and the least inequality in net returns among different landholding groups were observed in the tubewell irrigation system with groundwater depletion, compared to the other two irrigation systems (mixed irrigation system and tubewell irrigation system). The study suggests strengthening the regulatory framework for groundwater markets. A local community-participatory approach is necessary for the sustainable management of water resources through effective institutional arrangements at the local level in the study area.