The Hindu : Other States / Uttar Pradesh News : Workshop to frame ground water policy for U.P.

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Monday, Apr 25, 2005

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

Workshop to frame ground water policy for U.P.

C K Chandramohan

MEERUT: Some ray of hope for the farmers of Uttar Pradesh facing serious water problems. The Janhit Foundation will organise a workshop next month to draw up a draft for people's friendly ground water policy for the State.

The workshop enjoying full support of the Uttar Pradesh Minister for Minor Irrigation and Ground Water, Shakir Ali, aims at an interactive session between water experts from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan and concerned officials and village representatives to suggest methods to recharge the aquifers that have been badly depleted by increased agriculture, industrial and population pressures and check the increasing pollution of the aquifers.

According to a study of the Central Ground Water Board, there has been a serious depletion of ground water in 29 districts of Uttar Pradesh over the past two decades. A World Bank study has declared Baghpat, not far from Delhi, as a black district meaning thereby that any further indiscriminate exploitation of water may spark off a desertification process in this rich agricultural belt. Another study states that ground water in 24 districts have been found contaminated with dangerous chemicals including nitrates, chlorides and heavy metals- the worst being Kanpur, Gajraula and NOIDA industrial areas and places near them.

`If Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat can succeed in putting back part of the exploited water through simple rain water harvesting and other techniques why can't Uttar Pradesh having good rains and rivers do better', asks Anil Rana, director of the Janhit Foundation.

`The need to have a strong and people friendly water policy is all the more urgent as a number of multinational companies are planning to set up shop in areas of Uttar Pradesh near Delhi. These companies are bound to use a lot of water and also contaminate it unless a clear law is there to protect the community', Mr Rana said.

The big industries and even hospitals and others generating a lot of wastewater have to be stopped from injecting their wastes into the aquifers through boring systems as that poisons the very water source, he said. The Janhit Foundation has been actively working for the rejuvenation of lost traditional water harvesting systems like ponds and ' johads' in Meerut and Baghpat districts over the past few years and results are beginning to show in the ponds of villages Mohammadpur Dhumi, Kalyanpur and Alamgirpur.

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