Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been facing water a decrease in group d water level. In almost five out of ten wells in the state, the water level has touched a decadal low. The blunt fact is there is going to be a severe water scarcity in the state in the coming years. Odisha is counted among the few states in India where the rise and drop in the groundwater level have come to a halt.
As per the report Odisha has been placed at the 11th position, in the 36 states/UTs, where only 55 per cent of wells are observed to be getting a raise in water level.
A study conducted by the Central Groundwater Board (CGW) reports, the water levels in 45 pet cent wells in the state have recorded a decrease during the post Monsoon season (Nov 2021), and 55 per cent of wells are observed a water level increase as per the report. As surveyed by the CGW, the wells recorded a fall of 2.4m rise in water level and the percentage of wells posing a similar range of 2.6m fall in water level in Odisha.
Ground Water Map
In this year’s World Water Day theme; ‘Ground Water Making the Invisible Visible’, the CGW report has marked the subsequent states who have to work on their high riding groundwater stress. The top ten states listed as facing groundwater decrease :
1) Goa – 15 per cent of wells show a rise in water level.
2) Arunachal Pradesh – 20 per cent of wells have recorded a rise in water level.
3) Punjab – 31 per cent of wells record a rise in water level.
4) Tripura – 36 per cent wells show a rise.
5) Rajasthan – 41 per cent wells recorded a rise.
6) Haryana – 44 per cent of wells recorded a rise.
7) Meghalaya – 44 per cent of wells recorded a rise.
8) Assam – 45 per cent of wells show a rise in water level.
9) Jharkhand – Rise observed in 50 per cent wells
10) Nagaland – 50 per cent of wells show a rise.
11) Odisha has been placed in 11th as per the survey. Here in our state, a rise in water level has been noticed in only 55 per cent of the wells that have been surveyed.
Water Stress For Odisha?
The situation of groundwater in Odisha seems precarious. Around 24 out of 30 districts in the State are witnessing an extraction of groundwater below 50 per cent. As per the data, Nuapada and Jajpur are the only two districts in Odisha where the groundwater extraction is observed as 70 per cent. According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, groundwater extraction at the span of 70 per cent or more is considered to be dangerous in the country.
In this context, the government of Odisha needs to introduce missions to restore water. To maintain a sustainable life, people need to be aware of the overconsumption of so you say wastage and over-exploitation of go-around water resources. Only then there could be a brighter approach to this crisis.
-OdishaAge
