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Programmes on aquifer research & mapping, rainwater harvesting, recharging
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Thursday, 12 December, 2019, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The Union government in order to manage the fast depleting groundwater in the country has launched a programme called Management of Aquifer Research and Sustaining Groundwater Use through Village Level Intervention (Marvi).
The programme, will witness participation of institutions and academia and, is aimed at wider cooperation in capacity building to achieve water security for sustainable goals for agriculture, industry and household requirements.
The ministry informed that the programme will also help in development of resources for groundwater monitoring.
The project will be implemented through engagement of village communities and data related to water level, rainfall, water quality, check dam water level and so on will be maintained to manage the groundwater resources.
NAQUIM
Meanwhile, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) was also implementing ‘National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme’ (NAQUIM) for aquifer mapping in the country including in areas which have recorded a high depletion of groundwater, in phases.
Rattan Lal Kataria, MOS, Jal Shakti, told Parliament that out of the total mappable area of nearly 25 lakh sq km, so far aquifer maps and management plans have been prepared for an area of nearly 11.24 lakh sq km spread over various parts of the country.
And as per the Ground Water Resource Assessment carried out jointly by CGWB and state ground water departments, 1,186 assessment units in the country have been categorised as over-exploited, of which aquifer mapping has been completed in nearly 75% units.
According to the ministry, water availability per person is dependent on population of the country and for India, per capita water availability in the country is reducing due to increase in population. The average annual per capita water availability in the years 2001 and 2011 was assessed as 1,816 cubic metre and 1,545 cubic metre respectively, which may further reduce to 1,486 cubic metre in the year 2021.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan
Ministry of Jal Shakti has also launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) - a campaign for water conservation and water security. During the campaign, officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India worked together with state and district officials in India’s most water-stressed districts for water conservation and water resource management.
The Central government has formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development which envisages transfer of water from water- surplus basins to water-deficit basins to improve availability of water.
AMRUT
Further, Government of India has launched Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) on June 25, 2015, in select 500 cities across the country for a period of five years i.e., from 2015-16 to 2019-20 with focus on development of basic civic amenities in the mission cities.
Under the water supply component of the mission, projects related to rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of water bodies specifically for drinking water supply, recharging of groundwater and so on, can be taken up by the states/UTs to enhance water supply in the mission cities.
Jal Jeevan Mission
The Government of India has launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), which aims at providing functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024 at the service level of 55 litre per capita per day. This mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
However, the minister stated that water being a state subject, initiatives on water management including conservation and artificial recharge to groundwater in the country is primarily states’ responsibility.
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