Groundwater Management Scheme

                                                                                                Ground
Water Scheme

                                                                                http://www.cgwb.gov.in/GWM-Scheme.html

                                                                                                www.karmayog.org                        (19.10.2013)

Ground Water Management Scheme

Central
Ground water Board is a multidisciplinary Scientific Organization with the
mandate to “Develop and disseminate technologies for scientific and sustainable
development and management of India’s Ground Water Resources including
monitoring, exploration, assessment and augmentation”. Activities of ground
water studies, exploration, monitoring, assessment etc., which are of
continuing nature, were earlier covered under the scheme of “Ground Water
Survey, Exploration and Investigation”. In view of the emergent ground water
situation in various parts of the country, the need has been felt for proper
management of ground water resources including their augmentation and regulated
development etc. The scope of the earlier scheme has, therefore, been enlarged
including the activities of augmentation and regulation of ground water
resources and the scheme has been renamed as “Ground Water Management
and Regulation”.

Objectives
of the scheme are to :

1. evolve strategies for
   scientific planning, development and management of ground water resources
   under different hydrogeological environs.
2. develop and operationalize area
   – specific techniques / technologies for ground water development,
   augmentation and management.
3. regulate and control the
   development and management of ground water resources.
4. conduct Research &
   development studies including upgradation of technological capabilities
   and infrastructural base of the Central Ground Water Board to meet the
   upcoming challenges in ground water and
5.  transfer of knowledge and
   education in hydro-geological research and ground water management. Also
   increase capacity building in all aspects of ground water development and
   management through information dissemination, education, awareness 
   and training.
6. Increase coordination with
   concerned central / state govt. organizations for sustainable ground water
   development and management.

Scope
of the scheme:

1. Ground water management studies
   to prepare area-specific ground water development and management plans.
2. Remote Sensing Studies to
   supplement ground water management studies, ground water exploration,
   artificial recharge etc.
3. Ground water exploration aided
   by drilling to delineate ground water worthy areas and deeper aquifers.
4. Periodic assessment of the
   country’s ground water resources including refinement and updating of
   methodology.
5. Monitoring of ground water
   levels and quality from ground water observation wells.
6. Demonstration of artificial
   recharge and rain water harvesting studies to develop / update area
   specific methodologies and also operationalise recharge schemes based on
   proven technologies.
7. Establishing / updating of data
   storage and information system to store, process and disseminate ground
   water data.
8. Regulate and control ground
   water development and management in coordination with State Government
   Organization.
9. Water supply investigations for
   Government, semi government and user agencies.
10. Geophysical studies through
    surface and sub-surface methods to delineate potential aquifers and
    pinpointing of suitable sites for ground water exploration, artificial
    recharge etc.
11. Ground water modeling studies
    to provide area specific ground water management plans using
    multi-criteria technique for decision making.
12. Assessment of ground water
    quality for determining their suitability for various types of uses including
    use for agriculture, industrial and allied purposes.
13. Preparation of Reports, Maps,
    Ground Water Atlases and Brochures  and dissemination of information
    for planners, administrators and stakeholders.
14. Coordinate with State
    governments with a view to establish benchmark methodologies for ground
    water studies.
15. Develop linkages with Science
    Institutions on aspects of ground water saving and sharing.
16. To take up R & D studies in
    ground water sector and also   application and
    operationalisation of newer technologies/techniques for ground water
    investigation, development and management.
17. To carry out demonstration of
    water efficient technologies through suitable experimentation.
18. Strengthening of infrastructure
    by way of acquisition of state of the art equipments viz., drilling rigs,
    hydrological, geophysical and chemical analysis equipments etc.
19. Capacity building and knowledge
    transfer etc.