CHENNAI: Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday said the Union government and individual State governments were taking several initiatives to conserve and reduce the pressure on groundwater resources and were yielding results.
"Unlike earlier, we are carrying out ground water mapping across the country every year. We are able to improve the groundwater levels in 10% of area, which was earlier categorised as over-exploited," he said during a press conference jointly addressed by Tamil Nadu minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan.
He was attending the All India Secretaries Conference on Water Vision@2047 at Mahabalipuram. The two-day conclave is attended by 30 secretaries and more than 300 delegates from 32 States and Union Territories.
As per the National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2023 report, a total of 24.67 lakh sq.km of recharge worthy area was mapped, of which 4.18 lakh sq.km (16.95%) was found to be over-exploited. In Tamil Nadu, 31,129 sq.km (28.64%) is under the over-exploited category.
The minister said the Prime Minister has given the clarion call of making India a developed Nation by 2047. Ten Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) are preparing a blueprint of the plan setting out realistic deadlines and milestones. On the directions of the Sectoral Group of Secretaries, each Ministry has prepared a Vision document pertaining to its sector.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti organized a conference of State Ministers of Water on the theme: “Water Vision @ 2047” on 5th and 6th January, 2023 at Bhopal. The conference agreed on 22 recommendations for further action. "This conference follows up on these recommendations to accelerate action," said Debashree Mukherjee, secretary, Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Jal Shakti.