Overexploitation of groundwater reported in the 52 taluks of the state: University of Mysore VC

University of Mysore Vice Chancellor NK Lokanath will inaugurate the training program on “Groundwater Development and Management Practices” in Mysuru on Monday. | Photo credit: MA Sriram

University of Mysore Vice Chancellor NK Lokanath on Monday said overexploitation of groundwater has been reported in 52 taluks in Karnataka where the groundwater extraction stage is more than 100 per cent.

Prof. Lokanath was speaking after the inauguration of the Tier-II Training Program in Groundwater Development and Management Practices organized by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), South-West Region, Bengaluru in collaboration with the Department of Studies in Earth Sciences, University of Mysore, Mysuru.

Prof. Lokanath said it is notable that about 60 percent of the irrigation demand is met by groundwater sources. Indiscriminate extraction of groundwater has created more groundwater structures, such as borewells and dug wells. The average stage of groundwater development is 65 percent, he added.

Considering the heterogeneity and complex hydrogeological setting, the Central Ground Water Board in 2012 embarked on a methodical approach to map various aquifer systems in India under the National Aquifer Mapping (NAQUIM) program with a basic theme summarized as “know your aquifer to aquifer,” he explained in his speech.

NAQUIM aims to prepare a micro-level aquifer information system. Under NAQUIM, there are management plans for aquifers of one lakh square kilometers. area have been prepared in Karnataka. These management plans will enable the state government and stakeholders to design various water security plans and adopt aquifer-wise groundwater management strategies for sustainable development, Prof. Lokanath said.

The implementation of various management plans recommended by NAQUIM studies will play an important role in reducing pressure on groundwater systems and effective implementation of various central sector schemes, he explained.

To disseminate the results of various scientific studies of the CGWB, regional offices of the CGWB regularly organized awareness training at different levels for different target groups, he added.

According to the Vice Chancellor, Tier-II training is one such training to train students, research scientists, professionals of state groundwater departments, other line departments and NGOs working in the water sector on various aspects of groundwater management and issues.

The three-day tier-II training aims to fill the data gap in theory and practice in groundwater studies and guide the target group in updating current practices, he said.

Various topics are covered in the training program.

Field demonstration of TEM research and digital water level recorder will be among the field activities during the program.

Invitees from the CGWB, other government schemes and the faculty of the Department of Earth Sciences Studies were present on this occasion.