Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Rules, 2018: Draft

In its latest draft of Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Rules 2018, the government has made a provision that will require farmers in notified groundwater-stressed areas to seek permission before sowing "water-intensive crop". Unhappy with the decision, farmers’ organisations say that there are alternative ways to discourage farmers from growing water-guzzling crops. They suggest implementing a price mechanism that incentivises farmers who refrain from growing water-guzzling crops in water-scarce areas as one of the alternatives.