Control of and Access to Groundwater in UP

The huge growth of tube wells has been considered a turning point in the agricultural history of Uttar Pradesh. Although in terms of ownership of modern agricultural implements various data have shown that the backward caste people are racing ahead of the upper castes, even today marginal farmers, particularly the SCs/STs, find ownership of mechanical water extraction devices and modern agricultural implements out of reach. This paper points to a two-dimensional debate - one, those who hold that water markets lead to more egalitarian distribution of gains from groundwater development and the others who question the very premise of equity in water markets.