54.4 % Of Wells In India Showed Rising Water Levels: Centre On Alleged Groundwater Depletion
New Delhi: Responding to a question in parliament regarding groundwater depletion in Rajasthan, the Union Government recently said that about 62.5 % of analysed wells showed rising water levels in 2024 as compared to the mean level of the previous 5 years in the state.
The ministry of Jal Shakti further noted that across the country, 54.4 % of analysed wells in the whole country showed rising water levels. The information was revealed through the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)’s analysis. CGWB manually monitors groundwater levels four times a year through its monitoring stations spread across the country, including in Rajasthan and in its Jhalawar-Baran Lok Sabha Constituency.
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When asked about the government initiative to manage groundwater depletion, the ministry pointed out that water is a state subject and the responsibility for sustainable management of groundwater resources lies primarily with the concerned state governments. However, the Union Government complements the efforts of the states by providing technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects.
In this direction, the ministry has taken several steps, which include Atal Bhujal Yojana, Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari among others. Regarding any technical and financial support for crop diversification towards less water-intensive crops, the ministry said that in Rajasthan, around 58 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in District Baran and 38 GPs in District Jhalawar were covered under the Atal Bhujal Yojana.
“Being a scheme focused on demand side management of groundwater, promoting crop diversification from water-intensive to less water-consuming crops was one of the key priorities of Atal Bhujal Yojana,” the ministry added.
