Haryana set to become first state to complete Aquifer mapping

February 23, 2016

Haryana is set become the first state in the country to complete aquifer mapping for its groundwater resources by May 2016.
Aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing rock from which groundwater can be extracted.
Key facts

Aquifer mapping: It is scientific mapping of aquifers to asses the groundwater situation.
Objective: To prepare management plans in consultation with stakeholders and state governments to take measures to replenish the declining groundwater.
Nodal Agency: This aquifer mapping is undertaken by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) on the scale of 1:50,000 in 3D.
Technology: For this purpose, CGWB is using advanced technologies like heli-borne geophysical surveys and sophisticated software for preparing management plans.
Target: CGWB has set target to complete the aquifer mapping of the entire country by 2022.
In the first phase (to be completed by 2017), 8 states have been selected for this kind of scientific mapping where groundwater situation has already reached a critical level.
These states are Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Implications

The aquifer mapping will eventually help in predicting the groundwater scenario in the country as most of groundwater reservoirs are over-exploited.
It will assist the states in estimating the quantity and quality of groundwater in an aquifer and help in assessment of sustainable level of water extraction.
It will further help these states for subsequent planning for water use in order to make the country climate change resilient.

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