Experts to Develop a Strategy for Groundwater Crisis in Uttar Pradesh

In February, GWAG presented the government with a 15-point resolution outlining solutions to Uttar Pradesh's groundwater crisis.

Now, it will explain how to cope with it and provide methods of groundwater extraction based on solid hydrological data for maximum utilization and minimal waste.

"The research for implementation will begin in April," said GWAG convener RS Sinha. A meeting of scientists studying groundwater conservation will be held, and suggestions will be recorded. That will be shared with the government later."

The state's surface water resource is approximately 110 billion cubic metres (BCM), whereas the exploitable groundwater resource is approximately 65 BCM. Water demand is increasing due to urbanization and population development, but supplies are not being replenished, he added.

The organization underlined the critical problem of groundwater in urban areas and a plan for its management in a February resolution submitted to Jal shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh.

"We had also requested that Lucknow be chosen as a pilot for the implementation of comprehensive groundwater management policies," Sinha said, adding that "an aquifer-based separate extraction policy should be introduced to stop indiscriminate ground water exploitation in a phased and effective manner."

He believes that in the future, the use of abundantly available surface water should be encouraged by efficiently lowering reliance on groundwater.