Aquifer mapping of the country would be completed by March this year, an exercise that will help various states gauge availability of ground water and its recharge potential.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha recently, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said out of the total geographical area of around 33 lakh sq km of the entire country, around 25 lakh sq km of mappable area has been identified.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken up the Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme since 2012 under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation. The programme is aimed at delineating aquifer disposition and their characterisation for preparation of aquifer or area specific ground water management plans with community participation.
The management plans are shared with respective state governments for taking appropriate measures or implementation. Aquifer mapping is a scientific process, wherein different analyses are applied to characterise the quantity, quality and sustainability of groundwater in aquifers.