Declining groundwater level a big challenge for India: Jal Shakti minister

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday cautioned that the declining groundwater level is a big challenge before India and stressed that there is a need to conserve, reuse and use water judiciously.

The minister was speaking on the occasion of the release of a report on the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) 2.0 by government think tank Niti Aayog.

The CWMI is an important tool to assess and improve the performance of states and union territories in efficient management of water resources. This has been done through a first-of-its kind water data collection exercise in partnership with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Ministry of Rural Development and all the states/ union territories.

"The declining groundwater level is a big challenge for India... time has come to conserve, reuse and use water judiciously," the minister said adding that in the coming days the technology can also be used for water management.

Hopeful that the CWMI will help in formulating future schemes on water conservation and resources, the minister said it will be useful in inspiring states that have lagged behind.

Many countries have converted sea water into drinking water, he noted.

"The impacts that we are seeing due to climate change and due to which there is erratic and scanty rainfall it has come has a big challenge for us," the minister cautioned.

Commenting on the report, Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant said "the important thing is that we are trying to bring in cooperative federalism on water through this very detailed study...the other big thing is that 19 out of 24 states have shown improvement in various areas of water." It shows that water has become the centre point for the government, he said.

He stated that states that have shown improvement included Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Goa.

Another official of Niti Aayog was of the view that "first water index was able to bring water at centre-stage in our policy making. Many states have now improved their performance".

Stating that the country was going to face tough times due to climate change, the official said "if we do not improve awareness...I think we will not be able to adapt to the emerging situation."