21 projects in Punjab to recharge groundwater

Fatehgarh Sahib, July 18 (UNI) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has undertaken 21 pilot projects and provided Rs four crore to the Punjab government for artificial recharge to groundwater.

These schemes were undertaken at Amritsar, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Moga districts, CGWB Regional Director Sushil Gupta told mediapersons here today.

He was here to launch 'Rainwater Harvesting and Artificial Recharge to Ground Water' scheme at the administrative and judicial complex.

Mr Gupta said the CGWB, North Western Region was engaged in various activities related with rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge to groundwater in various parts of Punjab.

He said as per Ground Water Resource Estimation computed by CGWB in association with the state government, it was observed that out of 137 blocks of the state, 103 blocks are over exploited, five are critical, four are semi-critical and 25 blocks falls under safe category. The blocks falling under safe category mainly lie in south western districts of the state, where groundwater is slaty and in certain parts of Kandi area where groundwater extraction is less because of the mountainous topography, he added.

Mr Gupta told that the stage of groundwater development in Fatehgarh Sahib district was 161 per cent. He said all five blocks of the district are over exploited and maximum development is in Amloh block, where stage of ground water development is 207 per cent.

The total cost of the scheme launched in the district was Rs 5.69 lakh, which is fully funded by CGWB, he said.

DC Alaknanda Dayal appreciated the efforts by the board in rainwater management for artificial recharge to groundwater.

Mr D R Kataria, Joint Director, Agriculture (Engineering) stated that the groundwater was being over-exploited to meet ever-increasing demand of water for diverse purposes like irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes. He said number of tubewells had increased from 50,000 in early 60's to above 11 lakh now, which is the main cause behind the decline of water level.

He appealed to the farmers to divers from the wheat-paddy cropping pattern to less water requiring crops in order to save Punjab from becoming barren.

Mr Marwaha, scientist, CGWB said Punjab was facing dual phenomenon of declining and rising water lavel in various blocks of the state. He stressed the need for rainwater harvesting to augment the dwindling groundwater resources of the state.

UNI