Representative image.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Extraction of groundwater has decreased in Karnataka in 2023 compared to last year, says a latest report on status of ground water, prepared by the Central government.
“The groundwater extraction has decreased from 69.93 per cent in 2022 to 66.26 per cent in 2023 indicating improvement in overall groundwater scenario,” said the report titled ‘Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India-2023’.
As compared to 2022, in 17 assessment units (taluks), groundwater situation has improved mainly due to increase in rainfall and recharge from other sources, whereas 1 assessment unit has seen deterioration due to reduction in rainfall recharge, the report prepared by the Central Ground Water Board, in the Jal Shakti Ministry, said.
The groundwater quality tagging has also been done during the survey. A total of 17 taluks have been tagged for salinity and 14 taluks for fluoride. The report said that the annual groundwater recharge has been assessed as 18.93 bcm (billion cubic metre) and the annual extractable groundwater resource 17.08 bcm. The present annual groundwater extraction was 11.32 bcm and the stage of ground water extraction was 66.26 per cent in the state, the report, which was released on Friday by Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, said.
Out of the 234 assessment units, 44 units (18.8%) have been categorized as ‘over exploited’, 12 units (5.13 %) as ‘critical’, and 32 units (13.68 %) as ‘semi critical’ and 146 units (62.39 %) have been categorized as ‘safe’, said the report.
As compared to 2022 assessment, there was an increase in annual groundwater recharge from 17.74 bcm to 18.93 bcm, Annual extractable groundwater resources from 16.04 bcm to 17.08 bcm. This is mainly due to an increase in rainfall recharge, recharge from surface water irrigation, water conservation structures and from tanks and ponds, said the report.