look news india
Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, has been declared the world's first waterless city. Now the next number can be from our Rajasthan. There is no water left in this desert state with a population of 8.5 crores. The report of the Ground Water Department has claimed that by next year i.e. 2025, there will be no water left in all the major cities of the state including Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur. Rajasthan uses 5.4 billion cubic meters more water every year than is recharged from rainfall and other sources. This means that future savings are being spent today. The Dynamic Ground Water Resources Report of the Central Ground Water Board and Rajasthan Ground Water Department estimates water availability to be zero in Jaipur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur by 2025. The current situation is also not good. Water rationing is already being done in many districts of Rajasthan during the scorching heat.
A senior official who prepared the report said that by 2025, the dynamic groundwater resource in these cities will become zero. This means that we are drawing more water from the ground than is being recharged here. Due to this, 219 out of 302 blocks of Rajasthan have reached above the danger mark. Of the remaining blocks, 22 are critical, 20 are semicritical. Only 38 blocks have been considered safe in terms of water availability.
Situation changed in 40 years
According to the groundwater survey report, the situation in Rajasthan has completely reversed in the last 40 years. In 1984, 203 out of 236 blocks of Rajasthan were protected. There were 10 semi-severe and 12 hyper-severe conditions. In Rajasthan, only 35.75 percent of the recharged water was used. 148.77 percent recharge water was used in 2023. That is why the water we extract from the ground is a savings for the future.
Increase in water level in 189 panchayats
According to groundwater scientists, the report is prepared on the basis of dynamic factors. Which may change from time to time. If the rains are good and recharge is done properly then the situation may change. Chief Engineer Suraj Bhansingh said that under the Atal Ground Water Scheme, 15 thousand water storage structures were built in the last four years for underground water conservation.
18 percent share in Rajasthan's GDP
The contribution of agriculture sector in the gross GDP of Rajasthan is 27 percent and contribution of groundwater is 69 percent. That means the share of groundwater in the total GDP of Rajasthan is 18 percent.