Mapping of states groundwater on for better mgmt

TheCentralGround Water Board (CGWB), South Western Region, Bengaluru is in the process ofmappingGoas aquifers to prepare taluka-wisemanagementplans. Once ready, these will give an accurate idea of thestates water availability and quality at the micro-level.

Regional director of CGWB, V Kunhambu told TOI that the data will help Goabetterplan utilisation of itsgroundwaterfor domestic, industrial and commercial use.

Aquifer planning and management reports for five talukas of North Goa are ready and the same work needs to be carried out for seven talukas in South Goa. The report will provide status of water availability, quality, impact of rain water recharge, etc. The information will be useful to farmers, industries and state departments in planning, he said.

Kunhambu said that the central government has brought in revised rules to be able to better manage groundwater Resources in the country. The data, he said, will help in gradually implementing these new groundwater extraction guidelines.

Once all the 12 taluka-wise reports are ready, an advisory will be issued based on the reports to help judiciously utilise Water Resources as per availability in a particular area.