Hydro-Geomorphological Maps for Groundwater Prospection and Linkages

It is common phenomenon that many villages in India face acute water shortage for two to three months each year. Unfortunately the shortage is becoming more intense and prolonged with change in weather and rainfall patterns.

Conserving water has become so crucial that it often finds mention in speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi alike he did during his latest Mann Ki Baat episode.

Severity of water crisis that India may face in future can be imagined as controversial UN climate report suggests that Himalayan glaciers may melt to one fifth of the present size by the year 2035.

No one can undermine the importance of science as a tool to address water problems. While addressing the two day national workshop on 'Application and Uses of Hydro-Geomorphological Maps (HGMs) for Groundwater Prospection and Linkages', Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan threw light on various initiatives undertaken by his ministry so as to encourage innovative efforts in conserving the precious ground water resources of our country.

This was the final workshop in a series of 12 State workshops, organised over a span of 3 months, which was conducted by the India Water Foundation, a National Key resource Centre of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Union Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation, Chaudhary Birender Singh chaired and presided over the inaugural session, said that along with a long term roadmap, there is need for immediate solutions. Along with science, social aspects should also be considered while planning and managing water resources.

Who attended the workshop:

To learn about various applications of HGMs in overcoming water problems in their respective states representatives from State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM), Panchayati Raj Institution (PRIs), Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and various other line departments and scientists attended the Workshop.

Topics discussed:

Technical Discussion sessions were organised on subjects like:

1. Application and use of Hydro-Geomorphological Maps for locating Ground Water based sources and Source Sustainability Structures under Rural Drinking Water Supply programme of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation;
2. Role of Geo-Spatial Technology in Transforming Flood Hazards into Opportunity;
3. Aquifer Mapping and Management-Need for Geophysical tools.

Why use technology:

Water makes economies prosper and have wide and multiple linkages.

With fast depleting groundwater resources, there is severe threat to water availability, livelihood and sustenance.

Managing water resources is critical and technologies like Hydro-Geomorphological Mapping can be very useful.