Introduction
Uttar Pradesh is the largest user of groundwater repositories. The large alluvial plain has porous soil, which is easily penetrable by surface water so there is very rich reservoir of groundwater, in the form of multiple aquifer system. However, Bundelkhand lacks ground water resource because it is plateau area.
The Ground Water Department
The Ground Water Department was established in 1975 for the study, assessment, survey, planning and development of the state’s groundwater resources and its related problems.
- Under this department, a network of hydrograph stations (observation wells) is established for water level measurement in urban and rural areas of the state. Under this, water level monitoring is done 6 times in a year (January, May, June, August, October and November).
- Piezometers are being constructed for expansion of hydrograph station network for intensive monitoring of ground water on 5×5 km grid considering Nyaya Panchayat as unit in rural areas and on 2×3 km grid considering water supply zone as unit in urban areas.
- For planned development and management of ground water, district wise/development block wise assessment of ground water and classification of development blocks into overexploited, critical, semi-critical and safe category is done as per the guidelines of GEC-97.
- The chemical quality (13 components) of ground water is assessed/monitored from the water samples collected from the ground water quality monitoring stations of all the development blocks of the state from the point of view of agricultural suitability.
GIS Base Map
Various types of GIS based maps are prepared by this department ( the ground water department ) related to development block related to groundwater, which are used by other departments in preparing any development programme. ( GIS = Geographic Information System ).
Rain Water Harvesting and Recharging
Rain harvesting policy has been implemented in 2001 due to continuous falling level of ground water in the state and non-availability of water supply as per standards in the urban areas. Under this policy, it has been made mandatory to implement roof top rain water harvesting system in private buildings, government, semi-government buildings, group housing complexes etc. with an area of more than 300 square meters and recharging groundwater by conserving reservoirs, ponds, puddles etc.
Drinking water quality monitoring & surveillance
A three-tier system is being established for monitoring and surveillance all the rural drinking water sources of the state. These three levels are – Gram Panchayat, District and State level. Under this, turbidity, pH, hardness, chloride, iron, nitrate, fluoride, residual chlorine and biological tests are to be done.
Water Management and Regulatory Authority
To curb indiscriminate ground water exploitation, this authority has been constituted to make a law related to water management in 2010 and implement it strictly. Bringing excessive groundwater exploitation into the category of crime, a provision has been made to punish the guilty with imprisonment of one year or a fine of Rs 2,000 per day (up to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh).
- According to this law, pumps of capacity more than 0.5 horsepower in urban areas and 7.5 horsepower in rural areas cannot be installed without permission.
- The commercial user of ground water will now not only have to register himself, but will also have to recharge it through rain water harvesting system in excess of the amount of ground water he uses. Arrangements have also been made to collect fees from water users.
- Now it has been made mandatory to make arrangements for roof top rain water harvesting in newly constructed buildings of 300 square meters or more area.
- Ground water recharge reservoir is mandatory on at least 5% of the land in schemes of more than 20 acres.
- The norms for trees in residential plots have been fixed as follows –
- at least one tree per plot of area less than 200 square meters.
- Two trees in plots of area less than 200 to 300 Sq.
- Four trees in plots of area less than 300 to 500 Sq.
- 50 trees per hectare in group housing scheme.
- It is mandatory to plant trees as a group on a minimum area of 100 square meters per 50 families in the schemes of economically weaker sections, slum improvement etc.
- Planting of trees at the rate of one tree per 80 square meter plot in industrial area and separation of big polluting industries from residential area by dense green belt which should be 15 percent of the industrial area is mandatory.
Ground Water Affected Areas
Due to excessive water exploitation, the number of dark development blocks is increasing rapidly. In the last 10 years, the ground water level of such blocks has decreased by more than 30 cm. A total of 271 blocks and 22 cities have been identified as overexploited from ground water in the state. Out of these, 113 blocks in 43 districts are over-exploited, 59 are critical and 45 are semi-critical. These 43 districts include – Lucknow, Unnao, Agra, Pratapgarh, Jhansi, Moradabad, Mathura, Banda, Mirzapur, Ghaziabad, Rampur, Baghpat, Prayagraj, Saharanpur etc. The remaining 54 blocks belong to Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions. Therefore, the State Ground Water Conservation Mission has to be run in these blocks.
State Ground Water Conservation Mission
‘State Ground Water Conservation Mission’ is being started by integrating various schemes being run for the overall management and conservation of ground water resources in the state. The important points about this mission :-
- On August 17th, 2017, Uttar Pradesh cabinet gave its approval to the decision of the Ground Water Department to run a Ground Water Conservation Mission.
- This will be the first of its own kind mission at State level for ground water conservation.
- Its purpose is to implement various programs for rainwater harvesting and integrated management of ground water resources in mission mode with public participation.
- Under this mission 271 developmental blocks and 22 cities have been selected.
- This mission will be operated in 15 development blocks of the Bundelkhand region and 7 development blocks in the eastern region in the financial year 2017-18.
- A master plan based on the watershed principle in these selected development blocks will be built for recharging.
- To convert water conservation into a mass movement, water panchayat at the village level and ground water force at the district level are being set up.
- The Ground Water Force will work to spread awareness of the importance of ground water amongst the general public.
- The main purpose of the Water Panchayat is to ensure water conservation and its proper use in the rehabilitated ponds by encouraging community efforts.
- Most of the members of Water Panchayat will be women and 10-20% will be male members.
- To ensure successful implementation of the mission Geological Water Department will provide with important data and master plan of various departments.
- Under various Schemes (such as MNREGA, Prime Minister Agriculture Irrigation Scheme, National Agricultural Development Scheme, Bundelkhand Package and National Drinking Water Program) through participation by different departments the pond redevelopment, check dam construction, farm pond construction, the reconstruction of the bandhas, the Kantur/Peripheral band etc. will be constructed.
Important Point
- Hydrograph stations have been established for the measurement of groundwater level in rural and urban areas of the state.
- At present, 113 blocks of the state are over-exploited and 59 blocks are critical from the ground water point of view.
- As of 2019, 22 cities of the state are suffering from ground water problem.
- Pratapgarh is the most exploited district of the state for its underground water potential.
- Rain harvesting and recharge policy has been implemented in the state since 2001.
- In 2010, the State’s Water Management and Regulatory Authority was formed.
- Ground Water Day is celebrated in the state on 10th June.
- Ground water week is celebrated in the state from 16 to 22 July.
- Jakhni village (Banda) was declared the country’s first model water village by the Central Policy Commission ( केन्द्रीय नीति आयोग ) 2019.