question_answer

                     The following newspaper report was published on 28th September, 2012. "Overexploitation,   due   to  population concentration, has led to depletion of the groundwater and the recharge process is slow due to the type of soil in the region," said the Chairman, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). According to him, hard rock areas of south India are also severely affected but the recharge process was quicker in rocky areas. "Good rains over a five to seven year period can bring back water in aquifers," he said, adding that the issues of water and land were crucial to India's development." Do you feel that the Chairman, CGWB was right? If so, what steps should be taken to reduce the overexploitation of groundwater resources without seriously affecting the region's development?

Answer:

                  The Chairman, CGWB was correct that the groundwater had been overexploited and so depleted. The following steps can be taken to ensure this problem does not occur again (i) No digging of tube wells should be allowed for a few years in areas where the groundwater level has gone down appreciably. Even in the case of existing tube wells in such areas, they should be given power only for limited periods to limit their use of groundwater. (ii) Alternative methods for irrigation like canals should be developed in areas with low levels of groundwater. (iii) Farmers in such areas should be persuaded to change their cropping pattern to such items which require less water or even to other allied professions like dairy farming, pisciculture etc.