V.O.C College hosts programme to stress need for water conservation practices

A five-day training programme on aquifer information system and aquifer management plan by Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Rajiv Gandhi National Groundwater Training and Research Institute commenced at V.O. Chidambaram College here on Tuesday to create capacity building for disseminating knowledge on aquifers and preparation of aquifer management plan for sustainability of groundwater resources.

A. Subburaj, Head of Office, CGWB, said rainfall is the main source of groundwater and Tamil Nadu receives an average rainfall on 55 days a year. The entire demand for water for the whole year was met from recharge of these rainy days. He stressed the need for water conservation practices such as recycling and reuse of water in domestic and industrial sector and micro irrigation practices like drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation system.

The surface water available was fully harnessed by impounding the available water in 79 reservoirs, 39,400 medium and major tanks. The net irrigated area was about 29,12,100 hectares by all sources while gross area irrigated is about 33,47,600 ha. Ground water is the major source of water for irrigation. With groundwater, 16,31,727 ha, which is about 56 per cent of the total area under irrigation in state, was irrigated.

Based on computation of groundwater resources as on March, 2011, 374 firkas with groundwater development in excess of hundred per cent had been categorised as ‘over exploited’ and 48 firkas with groundwater development between 90 to 100 per cent were categorized as ‘critical.’ The groundwater development in 235 firkas was between 70 and 90 per cent and these were categorized as ‘semi critical’ and 437 fircas with less than 70 per cent were ‘safe.’ But, resources had not been computed for 35 firkas in which the groundwater was totally saline, he added.

As for Thoothukudi district, five out of 41 firkas were over exploited, one firka was critical, three other fircas and 32 fircas had been categorized as ‘semi critical’ and ‘safe’ respectively. For a better management of groundwater resources, rainwater harvesting system, artificial recharge methods, check dams and percolation ponds with recharge shafts should be adopted.

Further, he said about 62 per cent of groundwater had been used in India and it was 77 per cent in Tamil Nadu. On aquifer mapping, which was taken up in the State under the 12th five year plan, 25,000 square km of total earmarked area of 95,000 square km had been completed and the rest would be completed in three years.

A.P.C.V. Chockalingam, secretary, VOC College, said water has become the most valuable commodity nowadays and it was high time for people to conserve it. A. Narendran, Executive Engineer, TWAD Board, K. Vijaya, Deputy Director, Agriculture, K. Kadirvelu, retired Professor, Department of Geology, A. V. Udayanapillai, Associate Professor and Head, attended.