Ground Water

Bill seeking to protect groundwater passed in Goa, proposes Rs 10 lakh fine

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

North India lost nearly 450 cubic km of groundwater in 2 decades: Study

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 ...

Tackle depleting ground water, low investment in research in 'Amritkaal'

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

India's water transformation: $250 bn investment fuels decade of progress

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

Best of BS Opinion: The French connection, The future of finance & more

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

The groundwater reality

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

Parl panel alerts contamination of heavy metals in ground, drinking water

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

Arsenic found in groundwater in 25 states, fluoride in 27 states: Govt

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 ...

Statsguru: Adequate groundwater buffers can help reduce pain of drought

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

India's groundwater extraction stage at 60% in 2022, says report

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 over-exploitation of ground water in Uttar Pradesh

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 have legislation for management of ground water: CAG

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

Beyond the Jal Shakti Abhiyan

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

Cabinet approves Rs 6,000 Atal Bhujal scheme for ground water management

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

Could doomsday be upon us?

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

Ground water level up 67% in Gujarat

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