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Delhi & 20 cities to hit day zero soon; 22% of groundwater in India dried
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Wednesday, 11 December, 2019, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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Groundwater in India has been reeling under tremendous pressure of demand and as a result nearly 22 per cent of it has dried. Union Minister for Jal Shakti (Water Resources) Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed this here at an event, quoting a report, and stressed that the government was working towards efficient use of water resources wherein special emphasis is being given on recharging of groundwater.
According to the report, the highest number of stressed blocks were in Tamil Nadu (541), followed by Rajasthan (218), Uttar Pradesh (139), Telangana (137) and Punjab (111).
The Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India report launched by the Central Ground Water Board reveals that nearly 1,500 out of 6,881 units in 2017 came under overexploited and critical units.
The minister stated that the annual extraction of groundwater in these units was reported to be exceeding annual replenishment while agriculture sector consumes nearly 89% of the available water resources in India.
The report meanwhile sought for immediate change in the pattern of groundwater usage in the country.
One of the examples of rapid depletion in groundwater was exhibited by the city of Pune where a report revealed that groundwater extraction was doubled in last nine years. In 2011, the extraction was 2TMC which was reported at 4TMC during 2018-19. This was revealed in a survey conducted by the Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management, a city- based institute.
The survey found that there were 423 dug wells and 51 borewells under the Pune municipal area and 25% of the water demand of the city was met through groundwater.
Meanwhile, according to a World Bank Report, by 2030, 60% of India’s aquifers will be in a critical condition and will have bearing on sustainability of agriculture, long-term food security, livelihood and economic growth.
A quarter of the country’s harvest will be at risk, says the report. It further states that India is the largest groundwater user in the world, with an estimated usage of around 230 cubic kilometres per year, more than a quarter of the global total. With more than 60 per cent of irrigated agriculture and 85 per cent of drinking water supplies dependent on it.
And another report by government’s think tank Niti Ayog also suggests that by 2020, 21 Indian cities including major metros like Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater.
According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, in India, the total annual groundwater recharge i.e., the groundwater available in the zone of water level fluctuation is 432 billion cubic metre as per latest assessment of 2017 jointly carried out by Central Ground Water Board and state governments. Keeping 39 BCM for natural discharge, the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource for entire country is 393 BCM.
The Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses in the country is 249 BCM. Therefore only 63% of Net Replenishable (Extractable) Groundwater Resource is being used at present in the country as a whole. However, out of 6,881 assessment units (Block/ Taluks/ Mandals/ Watershed/ Firka) all over the country, 1,186 units (17%) have been categorised as ‘Over-exploited,’ where Annual Ground Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource.
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