Ground Water

The Central Ground Water Authority has informed the National Green Tribunal that groundwater extraction in the national capital has reduced from 127 per cent in 2013 to 99 per cent in 2023. Earlier, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had taken suo motu cognisance of a PTI report regarding a UN study predicting that several parts of the country could experience critically low groundwater availability by 2025. It had also sought a response from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). In its action-taken report dated January 1, the CGWA said that along with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), it took several steps to increase groundwater levels, such as promoting artificial recharge, rainwater harvesting, sustainable agricultural practices, and community participation. "On reviewing the comparison of state-wise resource assessment reports from 2013 to 2023, it is evident that in most of the states/Union Territories (UTs), the percentage of groundwater extraction has significant

Delhi's groundwater resources are heavily strained, with the overall extraction rate at 99.13 per cent, categorised as "critical", while the situation in Bengaluru is even more alarming with the overall groundwater extraction rate at 150.84 per cent, the Jal Shakti ministry said on Monday. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, said that while desalination technology using reject heat from nuclear reactors is operational at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, it is not widely applicable. Instead, the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology is deemed suitable for treating groundwater, the minister said. The government has also assessed groundwater dynamics in urban areas like Delhi and Bengaluru, but similar data for Mumbai is unavailable due to insufficient data collection. Delhi's groundwater resources are heavily strained, with the overall extraction rate at 99.13 per cent, which is categorised as "critical", Choudhary ...

The Goa legislative assembly has passed a bill proposing amendments to its ground water regulation law, providing for imposing a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh on those indulging in illegal construction of wells and transportation of ground water. The Goa Ground Water Regulation (Amendment) Bill was passed on Wednesday evening. State Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar moved the amendments to the Goa Ground Water Regulation Act, 2002. However, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Goa Forward party MLA Vijai Sardesai opposed the move. The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill mentions that the present quantum of fine as provided in the Act are not effective to deter the activities of illegal sinking/construction of wells and illegal transportation of ground water. "There is an urgent need to protect groundwater aquifers from pollution and/or contamination. Therefore, the Bill seeks to amend clause (B) of section 17 of the Act

About 450 cubic kilometres of groundwater was lost in northern India during 2002-2021 and climate change will further accelerate its depletion in the years to come, according to a new study. This is about 37 times the quantity of water the Indira Sagar dam -- India's largest reservoir -- can hold at full capacity, lead author Vimal Mishra, Vikram Sarabhai Chair Professor of Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences at IIT Gandhinagar, said. Using on-site observations, satellite data and models, researchers found that across north India, rainfall in monsoons (June to September) has reduced by 8.5 per cent during 1951-2021. Winters in the region have become warmer by 0.3 degrees Celsius over the same period, they found. The team, comprising researchers from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad, said lesser rainfall during the monsoons and warming of winters will increase irrigation water demand and reduce groundwater recharge, further stressing the already ...

The country needs to do more innovations and bring the power of scale to small and marginal farmers

Minister Shekhawat revealed that Namami Gange has been acknowledged as one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships by the UN Convention of Biodiversity conference COP15

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

The Assessment Report, put together by the Central Ground Water Board with inputs from states, reckons the total water recharge in 2023 to be around 449.53 billion cubic metres

The report was considered and adopted by the Committee in its meeting held on December 12

Arsenic has been detected in groundwater in parts of 230 districts in 25 states and fluoride in 469 districts in 27 states, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. In a written reply, the minister said that the ground water contamination reported by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is mostly geogenic in nature and does not show significant change over the years. The CGWB under the Ministry of Jal Shakti conducts regular monitoring and assessment of groundwater quality including ground water contamination of Arsenic and Fluoride. The board has carried out various studies in collaboration with other institutions, he said. These studies indicate the occurrence of arsenic and fluoride in ground water beyond permissible limits -- set by the Bureau of Indian Standards -- for human consumption in isolated pockets in various states and Union Territories, he said. Arsenic has been reported in parts of 230 districts in 25 states and ...

India had 398 billion cubic metres of extractable groundwater resources in 2022, recharged largely by the monsoons. The usage continued to go up even after 2011, but moderated after 2013

In 2022, around 87 per cent of the total annual ground water extracted that is around 208.49 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) was for irrigation which in 2020 was around 89 per cent

Lucknow leads in overexploitation of groundwater in Uttar Pradesh with an average of 3.5 million litres of groundwater extracted per one square km which is alarming, to put it rather mildly

Only 19 states/UTs have enacted legislation for the management of ground water and among them, the legislation was only partially implemented in four states, a CAG report said

NITI Aayog reckons that nearly 600 million Indians are already facing "high to extreme" water stress. The situation is set to worsen as the water demand is likely to double by 2030

The scheme will cover 8,350 villages of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, he said

Cleaning their beds and employing natural filtration methods is a relatively inexpensive way to recharge underground aquifers today - and could ensure greater water availability in future

But per capita fresh water availability is almost 40% less in Gujarat compared to the national average.