India is running out of water fast. “Competitive drilling for water has led to the destruction of our groundwater tables. Some aquifers in central India that took 10,000 years to accumulate water have dried up in the past 30 years,” said Mihir Shah, a member of the Indian Planning Commission in a recent interview. According to a study by the U.S. National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA), India lost 109 cubic kilometres of groundwater between 2002 and 2008 because of indiscriminate use. This groundwater, which should only really serve as a buffer during years of drought, was moreover withdrawn in a period when rainfall was actually above ‘normal’.
Source: http://www.water-challenge.com/post/2014/04/25/Jyotigram-Yojana-%E2%80%93-a-step-towards-more-sustainable-energy-and-water-management.aspx
Population pressure and increasing water competition in a changing climate require us to take stock of the availability and use of water across scales. Water availability not only influences farmers’ commercial prospects but also irrigation-related enterprises and agri-businesses. Greater water scarcity could jeopardize irrigation and agricultural markets while excessive water use can lead to declining ecosystems, water quality and soil health. IWMI advises development partners and the public and private sectors on all aspects of water resource availability and use through a variety of advanced modeling and remote-sensing products and tools, including 
The ability of farmers to engage in or expand irrigation depends on the prevailing socioeconomic, ecological and political contexts, which are often complex, non-linear and changeable. Overcoming systemic barriers to farmer-led irrigation development while taking advantage of existing opportunities 
A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support the