Impact of Groundwater Pumping on CO2 Emissions and Water Productivity in Western Gujarat Agriculture

In the western part of Gujarat, many farmers depend heavily on groundwater to grow their crops. They often use informal pump irrigation services, which help small and marginal farmers access water for their fields. This system has had positive effects, making water more fair, efficient, and sustainable, especially in regions like Gujarat where water is plentiful. However, in this type of economy, where pumps are crucial, energy and irrigation go hand in hand, forming what is known as the "energy-irrigation" nexus. Farmers mainly use electricity or diesel to power their pumps. Currently, most discussions focus on the link between electricity and irrigation. High electricity prices encourage the creation of water markets, benefiting small farmers. But because many rural areas lack electricity, farmers often rely on diesel, which has become more expensive, leading to a shortage of groundwater. This has hurt crop production and farmers' incomes. To address this, it is important to quickly bring electricity to rural areas and maintain affordable electricity rates. This would help support water markets and ensure small farmers can continue irrigating their fields. In Gujarat, using groundwater for farming has increased food production but caused problems by depleting water and polluting the environment. This study looked at pollution from groundwater farming in Gujarat, focusing on crops like mangoes, cotton, wheat, millet, and green gram. Results showed cotton emits the most CO2 due to heavy water needs, followed by mangoes and wheat. Declining groundwater levels have led to more energy use and CO2 emissions. Overexploitation of aquifers and changes in weather patterns has worsened water shortages in Gujarat. This affects food and freshwater security. This study was undertaken to assess the CO2 emission from groundwater irrigation in agriculturally dominant blocks (crops), which are Jalal pore (mango, banana), Valia (cotton), chital (cotton), Kodinur (wheat, millet, and green gram), and Sutra pada (wheat) of Gujarat in India. Groundwater depletion in India remains one of the most critical issues related to future food and freshwater security and has also influenced sustainable development goals (SDG 6, SDG 13). This study indicates that the CO2 emission from groundwater irrigation for the baseline scenario is the highest for cotton (17 MT of CO2) followed by mango (9 MT of CO2/ha/m), and wheat (8.4 MT of CO2). Higher CO2 emissions from cotton, rice, and wheat are due to more area under these crops as well as the huge extraction of groundwater. By improving the pump set and irrigation efficiencies together up to the achievable level, CO2 emissions can be reduced up to a certain amount for crops.