India's Depleting Groundwater: When Science Meets Policy

Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, Volume 6, Issue 1, pages 108-124

Crawford School Research Paper

17 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2019

See all articles by Namrata Chindarkar

Namrata Chindarkar

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Quentin Grafton

The Australian National University

Date Written: January 5, 2019

Abstract

A commonly applied policy to India's ongoing depletion of groundwater is feeder separation. Introduced in Gujarat as the Jyotigram Yojana (JGY) scheme, it provides a separate and rationed electricity supply to farmers and an unrationed power supply to non‐agricultural users. JGY is claimed to increase groundwater storage. By using Gujarat district‐level data from 1996 to 2011 and by separately applying difference‐in‐differences and Bayesian regressions, we find that groundwater storage has continued to decrease with JGY. We contend that our empirical results show that JGY has been implemented without adequate consideration of (1) a publication bias whereby researchers have a greater likelihood of having their results published if they are statistically significant and show a positive outcome and (2) a ‘barrier’ effect such that communicating evidence across science and policy divides means that evidence may not be accepted, even when true, and this limits policy advice and options.

Keywords: Bayesian regression, difference in differences, disciplinary divides, energy-water nexus, groundwater, Jyotigram Yojana

Suggested Citation

Chindarkar, Namrata and Grafton, Quentin, India's Depleting Groundwater: When Science Meets Policy (January 5, 2019). Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, Volume 6, Issue 1, pages 108-124, Crawford School Research Paper , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3341061

Namrata Chindarkar

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore ( email )

Singapore 117591
Singapore

Quentin Grafton (Contact Author)

The Australian National University ( email )

Crawford School (Bldg 132)
The ANU
Acton, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

HOME PAGE: http://https://crawford.anu.edu.au/people/academic/quentin-grafton

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