Union minister for water resources Arjun Charan Sethi has expressed concern about the rapid depletion of ground water in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
"Since 90 per cent of drinking water supplies in rural areas comes from ground water and almost 40 per cent of the total irrigation demand is met by harnessing it, there is continuous depletion of the valuable natural resource," Sethi told members of the consultative committee here.
Sethi stressed the need for mass-based programmes for recharging ground water and proper management of precious natural resources. "State governments should explore possibilities for protecting the fast depletion of ground water".
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While calling upon state governments to take urgent measures for protecting ground water, he said, due to constitutional provisions, provinces have been entrusted with the prime responsibility for managing water resources.
Secretary to the Union Ministry of Water Resources, Z Hasan, while expressing concern over depletion of ground water sources in some parts of the country, emphasised on rain water harvesting and of top harvesting.