Panel to study groundwater depletion, may visit Israel

CHANDIGARH:The Punjab cabinet, led by Capt Amarinder Singh, on Wednesday constituted a fivemember sub-committee to assess the groundwater situation in the state and suggest ways for conservation. The CM also suggested that the sub-committee visit Israel to study methods being used by the West Asian country to minimise use of groundwater.

The sub-committee comprises finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, jail minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, revenue minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and environment minister OP Soni. The decision to form the cabinet sub-committee was taken after the mission director in the directorate of groundwater management, Arunjit Singh Miglani, in a presentation said that with 18% of world’s population, India has just 4% of world’s water. Groundwater extraction in India is more than twice that in the US and China, he said.

Punjab uses 73% of its groundwater for irrigation. The number of tubewells in the state is up exponentially — from 2 lakh in 1971 to 12.5 lakh in 2015-16, with 41% of the 12.5 wells having availability of water at depth of beyond 60 metres. The CM expressed concern over depleting water levels, pointing out that the state would have “no water left in the next 15 years unless immediate steps are taken”, according to a spokesman. With the highest rate of decline in groundwater level, Punjab has the highest percentage of dark zones in the country.

Punjab during 2008-2013 on average withdrew 28.2 million acre feet (MAF) yearly, with average replenishment of only 18.9 MAF, thus causing a severe shortage.The CM urged farmers to minimise use of tubewells.

PUNJAB USES 73% OF ITS GROUNDWATER FOR IRRIGATION; NUMBER OF TUBEWELLS UP BY MORE THAN FIVE TIMES FROM 2 LAKH IN 1971