Articles | Volume 20, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1085-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1085-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Mar 2016
Research article |
| 15 Mar 2016
Reviving the Ganges Water Machine: potential
Upali Ananda Amarasinghe
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), P.O. Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Lal Muthuwatta
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), P.O. Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Lagudu Surinaidu
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), Hyderabad, India
Sumit Anand
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru, Telangana, India
Sharad Kumar Jain
National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, India
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Cited
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Shallow aquifer potential mapping in the foothills of Churia in Eastern Gangetic Plain of Saptari District, Nepal B. Thapa et al. 10.1007/s13201-019-0971-3
- Solar pumps and South Asia’s energy-groundwater nexus: exploring implications and reimagining its future T. Shah et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/aae53f
- The Bengal Water Machine: Quantified freshwater capture in Bangladesh M. Shamsudduha et al. 10.1126/science.abm4730
- Global water resources and the role of groundwater in a resilient water future B. Scanlon et al. 10.1038/s43017-022-00378-6
- Climate change impact assessment on the river discharge of the upper Ganga Subbasin R. Ranjan et al. 10.1016/j.pce.2025.103887
- Are climate finance subsidies equitably distributed among farmers? Assessing socio-demographics of solar irrigation in Nepal K. Kafle et al. 10.1016/j.erss.2022.102756
- Self-cleansing properties of Ganga during mass ritualistic bathing on Maha-Kumbh S. Dwivedi et al. 10.1007/s10661-020-8152-2
- Reviving the “Ganges Water Machine”: where and how much? L. Muthuwatta et al. 10.5194/hess-21-2545-2017
- Reviving the Ganges Water Machine: Accelerating surface water and groundwater interactions in the Ramganga sub-basin L. Surinaidu et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.06.025
- Isolating the impacts of anthropogenic water use within the hydrological regime of north India J. O'Keeffe et al. 10.1002/esp.4799
- Improving pumpset selection to support intensification of groundwater irrigation in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains T. Foster et al. 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107070
- Including Farmer Irrigation Behavior in a Sociohydrological Modeling Framework With Application in North India J. O'Keeffe et al. 10.1029/2018WR023038
- Assessment of long-term hydrogeological changes and plausible solutions to manage hydrological extremes in the transnational Ganga river basin L. Surinaidu et al. 10.2166/h2oj.2020.049
- Aquifer characterization and evaluation of groundwater potential zones in the frontal part of the Himalayas using electrical resistivity tomography technique A. Jasrotia et al. 10.1007/s12040-024-02467-0
- Changes in Hydrology of the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh and Corresponding Impacts on Water Resources S. Murshed et al. 10.1111/1752-1688.12775
- Modeling the potential for floodwater recharge to offset groundwater depletion: a case study from the Ramganga basin, India P. Chinnasamy et al. 10.1007/s40899-017-0168-6
- Assessing the snow cover dynamics and its relationship with different hydro-climatic characteristics in Upper Ganges river basin and its sub-basins S. Thapa et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148648
- Including Farmer Irrigation Behavior in a Sociohydrological Modeling Framework With Application in North India J. O'Keeffe et al. 10.1029/2018WR023038
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Shallow aquifer potential mapping in the foothills of Churia in Eastern Gangetic Plain of Saptari District, Nepal B. Thapa et al. 10.1007/s13201-019-0971-3
- Solar pumps and South Asia’s energy-groundwater nexus: exploring implications and reimagining its future T. Shah et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/aae53f
- The Bengal Water Machine: Quantified freshwater capture in Bangladesh M. Shamsudduha et al. 10.1126/science.abm4730
- Global water resources and the role of groundwater in a resilient water future B. Scanlon et al. 10.1038/s43017-022-00378-6
- Climate change impact assessment on the river discharge of the upper Ganga Subbasin R. Ranjan et al. 10.1016/j.pce.2025.103887
- Are climate finance subsidies equitably distributed among farmers? Assessing socio-demographics of solar irrigation in Nepal K. Kafle et al. 10.1016/j.erss.2022.102756
- Self-cleansing properties of Ganga during mass ritualistic bathing on Maha-Kumbh S. Dwivedi et al. 10.1007/s10661-020-8152-2
- Reviving the “Ganges Water Machine”: where and how much? L. Muthuwatta et al. 10.5194/hess-21-2545-2017
- Reviving the Ganges Water Machine: Accelerating surface water and groundwater interactions in the Ramganga sub-basin L. Surinaidu et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.06.025
- Isolating the impacts of anthropogenic water use within the hydrological regime of north India J. O'Keeffe et al. 10.1002/esp.4799
- Improving pumpset selection to support intensification of groundwater irrigation in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains T. Foster et al. 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107070
- Including Farmer Irrigation Behavior in a Sociohydrological Modeling Framework With Application in North India J. O'Keeffe et al. 10.1029/2018WR023038
- Assessment of long-term hydrogeological changes and plausible solutions to manage hydrological extremes in the transnational Ganga river basin L. Surinaidu et al. 10.2166/h2oj.2020.049
- Aquifer characterization and evaluation of groundwater potential zones in the frontal part of the Himalayas using electrical resistivity tomography technique A. Jasrotia et al. 10.1007/s12040-024-02467-0
- Changes in Hydrology of the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh and Corresponding Impacts on Water Resources S. Murshed et al. 10.1111/1752-1688.12775
- Modeling the potential for floodwater recharge to offset groundwater depletion: a case study from the Ramganga basin, India P. Chinnasamy et al. 10.1007/s40899-017-0168-6
- Assessing the snow cover dynamics and its relationship with different hydro-climatic characteristics in Upper Ganges river basin and its sub-basins S. Thapa et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148648
Saved (preprint)
Latest update: 15 Jun 2025
Short summary
The Ganges River basin has abundant surface water and groundwater resources, but the seasonal monsoon causes a mismatch between supply and demand as well as flooding. Addressing this mismatch requires substantial additional storage. A revived Ganges Water Machine, long known as use of subsurface storage with accelerated surface–subsurface water exchange, has the potential to meet 45–84 Bm3 year−1 of unmet water demand, and is the most opportune solution to the pending water problems in the Ganges.
The Ganges River basin has abundant surface water and groundwater resources, but the seasonal...
