LUCKNOW, June 11 (UNI) Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director Sunita Narain has warned that groundwater levels in the country are depleting at an alarming rate and India could soon turn into a virtual "dark zone." In her keynote address at a seminar on 'Rain Water Harvesting' here yesterday, Narain warned that the unmindful exploitation of groundwater in urban areas without replenishing the reserves would soon turn the situation explosive, causing social unrest.
"Groundwater tables are going down at the rate of 6-30 feet annually and at some urban places water levels have even dropped to 150-300 feet," she claimed.
There is an urgent need to create awareness towards Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) and making it a mass movement, added Narain.
She stressed, that a concerted effort by the government, NGOs, self-help groups and people at large towards this distressing phenomenon was required as it was acquiring dangerous proportions.
RWH is the process of collecting and using precipitation from a catchment surface.
There are several techniques to recharge underground water reserves, pits, trenches, dug wells, recharge wells and acquifer recharge structures.
The environmental activist, who shot into fame for her tirade against alleged contaminents in popular cold drink brands, said the government alone could not be expected to tackle the situation in a large country like India which had over 22 million tubewell connections.
Referring to a legislation in Tamil Nadu for water harvesting and conservation, she observed it had delivered the goods in that state.
However, much credit should be attributed to the level of public awareness in TN along with the concern of the state government, she added.
The CSE director said the cost of setting up a RWH structure varied from upwards of Rs 5,000.
Rashtrapati Bhawan and Jamia Hamdard University had already incorporated RWH structures in their precincts, she informed.
Referring to Meghalaya, she informed rooftop harvesting of rain water was being followed by almost every household in the state.
This was only possible due to awareness and recognising the importance of water and its conservation, she added.
She also stressed upon the judicious use of water by people and said extravagance with water would only deplete the already exhausted underground water reserves.
Shakir Ali, Uttar Pradesh minister for minor irrigation and ground water, was the chief guest on the occasion.
He said awarness programmes for RWH should be carried out on the scale of pulse polio campaign so that people get directly involved in it.
He called upon for a blue revolution on the lines of green revolution to remedy the situation of depleting underground water levels due to excessive and unprudent use of the aqua resources.
The minister also announced celebrating state ground water day from the year 2005.
Earlier, Narain also inaugurated a rain water harvesting structure at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) here.
