Focus on Protecting Groundwater Level

BANGALORE: The government is planning to launch a State-wide campaign to highlight the need to protect and improve the groundwater level, Minor Irrigation Minister Shivaraj Thangadagi said on Thursday.

Thangadagi told reporters that a Groundwater Development Directorate and Authority has been established to tackle the depleting groundwater situation.

He said among the 176 taluks, groundwater level is alarming in six taluks and quite dangerous in seven. Another 70 taluks are in red zone and in 63 taluks, the groundwater level is within the satisfactory range. He said the campaign would be carried out through posters, streetplays among other methods.

“The campaign would be formally launched on pilot basis in five districts --- Kolar, Chikballapur, Koppal, Gadag and Bijapur --- within 15 days and it would be taken to all districts in the second phase,” he said.

The Groundwater Directorate and the Authority will be set up in all the districts, he said.

“These bodies will be asked to prepare an action plan to build check-dams, percolation pits to harvest water and prevent soil erosion in the affected areas.”

Thangadagi said that the Minor Irrigation Department is preparing an action plan to rejuvenate more than 5,000 tanks across the State, with the participation from the local community under Jala Samvardhane project’s Phase II.

“The modalities are being worked out to launch the programme taking financial assistance from the World Bank,” he said.

In the First Phase of the Jala Samvardhane project, as many as 3,710 tanks were rejuvenated in the last 10 years in the State. The total spending under the programme accounts for over `784 crore, Thangadagi added.