The energy-irrigation nexus and its impact on groundwater markets in eastern Indo-Gangetic basin: Evidence from West Bengal, India

摘要: Abstract South Asia in general and India particular is heavily dependent on groundwater for supporting its largely agrarian population. Informal pump irrigation services markets have played an important role providing access to millions of small marginal farmers had positive equity, efficiency sustainable impacts water-abundant regions such as West Bengal. Quite predictably, lift-based economy, fortunes energy sectors are closely entwined. This has often been called the ‘energy-irrigation’ nexus. There two major sources pumping groundwater, viz. electricity diesel. Most current discourse field looked only at ‘electricity-irrigation’ nexus exclusion ‘diesel-irrigation nexus’. paper looks both these aspects. In doing so, it makes propositions. First, high flat-rate tariff encourages development water whereby buyers—who mostly farmers—benefit through irrigation. Second, low rate rural electrification forced majority depend diesel steep increase prices over last few years resulted economic scarcity groundwater. turn serious negative crop production farm incomes. Using primary data from Bengal, India, this a case rapid continuation tariff, which would support developed provide poor farmers.