Wells, not dams, have been the TEMPLES of MODERN India.IDR LogoWATER & SANITATIONMay 31, 2018The politics of groundwaterIn order to make access to water adequate and equitable, we must shift our focus from water sources to water resources. Both science, and community participation and cooperation, are key to addressing our water woes.by DR HIMANSHU KULKARNI, UMA ASLEKAR6 min read A growing demand for water implies the need for an improved understanding of our resources, and the ABILITY to manage that demand in an equitable and SUSTAINABLE way.Wells, not dams, have been the temples of modern IndiaIndia is a groundwater economy. At 260 cubic km per year, our country is the highest user of groundwater in the world–we use 25 percent of all groundwater extracted globally, ahead of USA and China.When we think of water however, our brains have been programmed to think of large dams and rivers, and not wells. This, despite the fact that India has at least four crore irrigation wells and millions of farmers who use well water in agriculture.India was not the highest extractor of groundwater in the 1960S and 70s; the Green Revolution changed that. At independence the share of groundwater in agriculture was 35 percent; today it is a startling 70 percent.hope it helps