The Puducherry government has come out with a water policy aimed at conservation and groundwater regulation by roping in beneficiaries and local bodies in planning, implementation and management of water bodies in the Union Territory.
“The policy document has been notified by the government on the public domain and a time-bound operational action plan will be formulated for effective implementation of the policy,” a senior government official.
With all the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam located in the coastal area, an assessment of groundwater resources will be undertaken at regular intervals.
The areas of groundwater sources will be identified and groundwater modelling prepared so that planning and monitoring could be more effective and economical, according to an official in the Ground Water Unit.
In an effort aimed at augmentation of groundwater resources, appropriate rainwater harvesting systems would be designed taking into consideration the hydrogeology, soil conditions and rainfall patterns.
The government has made amendments to the Puducherry Building Bye-laws and Zoning Regulations to ensure installation of rooftop rainwater harvesting system and reuse of waste water.
Limited options
With limited options available to build major reservoirs in the union territory, the government will take steps for augmentation of water resources through bed dams, tailend regulators, and increasing the storage capacities of existing tanks and reservoirs for optimum rainwater harvesting to mitigate water scarcity, the official said.
Although the process of desalination was expensive, the government will explore the possibility of constructing desalination plants on pilot project basis under proper monitoring in selected areas.
“The administration has planned to involve beneficiaries, particularly water users association and local bodies, at all stages of planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of the systems,” the official added.
