Over-exploitation depleted ground water level in J'khand: Min

Over-exploitation of ground water has depleted its level in the state and efforts are on to conserve the resource, Jharkhand Assembly was informed today.
Replying to a short notice query of BJP MLA Radhakrishna Kishore on depletion of water level, state Water Resources Minister Chandraprakash Choudhary said the ground water level has gone down due to over-exploitation and the government was taking steps to maintain the level and conserve it.
Kishore said due to the topography of the state, 80 per cent of rain water runs off and suggested inter-linking of rivers in the state.
Choudhary said a central project on inter-linking of rivers was also there for Jharkhand.

Intervening in the matter, Chief Minister Raghubar Das appealed all MLAs to join water conservation effort this year.
In a written reply on the issue, the government said after a comparison of the last three years of ground water level, it was found the pre-monsoon level was 4.35 m, while the post-monsoon was 4.50 m.

Awareness on rain water harvesting is being spread among the people and as many as 220 recharge pits were constructed in the state and 30 more has been approved, it said.
A Bill for Ground Water Act is being prepared, it said adding, Aquifer Mapping at over-exploited blocks is on.

The government also said roof-top rain water harvesting on government buildings and educational institutions, which had been taken up in 2005-06, were being revived.