Uma Bharti calls for more awareness on water management

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti has called for more awareness on water management, rain water harvesting and artificial recharge through mass awareness programmes.

Bharti addressed a meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to her Ministry in New Delhi on Friday.

"In view of indiscriminate withdrawal of ground water for irrigation, industries and domestic purposes leading to over-exploitation of ground water in some areas, there is need of comprehensive policy to address the problem," said Uma Bharti.

Bharti shared the opinion that ground water governance issues needs to be looked holistically with a changed perspective and there is need to bring the concept of integrated water management in reality, adding that the supply and demand side management should go hand in hand to address the depleting ground water levels in various parts of the country.

The Minister said regulation of ground water development, enhancing water use efficiency is important measures towards demand side management.

"Growing concern of deterioration in ground water quality especially Arsenic and Fluoride requires intensive monitoring of ground water quality in time and space and also mechanism for sharing of data and

information," she added.

The Union Minister said her Ministry has embarked on a nationwide programme of Aquifer Mapping. The project is proposed to span over XII and XIII Plan periods. It is proposed to cover around 23.25 lakh sq.km mappable area distributed over various States and Union Territories of the Country.

During the XII Plan, an area of 8.89 lakh sq.km is to be mapped in priority areas (i.e., areas showing decline in ground water levels and areas affected by geogenic contamination). Remaining areas will be taken up during XIII Plan period. The aquifer mapping will facilitate participatory ground water management involving local communities.