It is obvious that day by day water scarcity is touching alarming proportions in our state, due to, one the one hand, increase in demand of water, and, on the other, decrease in the number of rainy days; and also due to less snow fall this season. Our springs are getting extinct and surface water bodies are also drying up. This is not due to inadequate water resources but due to lack of proper management. As per the report of “Assessment of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of J&K State 2012-13” (prepared from the state IR&FC data and our own CGWB data), the net dynamic ground water availability for irrigation development is 16821 ham (hectare meter) in Kupwara district where as 43397.82 ham in Baramulla district. The stage of ground water development in Kupwara is 18.39%, where as in Baramulla is 10.21% only indicating both districts falls under safe category. The total availability of ground water is also sufficient. Both the districts mainly rely on the surface water bodies in form of rivers and canals, which is also revealed from the stage of ground water development which is very low, indicating enormous utilization of surface water bodies. The surface water bodies are critically being utilized leaving the ground water resources under estimated. The question now arises how to deal with a drought like situation, and overcome the challenge? The solution for the problem is to manage Ground Water Resources in the Valley and to develop Ground Water Resources by constructing ground water abstraction structures so as to minimize the stress on surface water bodies. As our ground water resources are unexplored yet and are protected for future generation now the time has come to explore them. Separate structures need to be constructed to exploit ground water for irrigating our crops instead of continuous utilization of surface water. The springs must be developed and rejuvenated by constructing structures in its catchment area to increase the discharge in springs in the higher reaches as well. At present ground water is mainly used in Kashmir for drinking purpose, in future this ground water will be used in irrigation and industrial purpose also. It is pertinent to mention here that there must be a separate department which should monitor, exploit and estimate the ground water resource scientifically. Unlike most states, J&K lacked a state Ground Water Department. Establishing the state ground water department needs appointment of few experienced Hydrogeologists (Scientists), which will be fruitful for future ground water utilization. In most of the States in India, State Ground Water Departments are established, in that Central Govt. is also funding under HP (Hydrology Project) for installation of Piezometers/Tube wells and other structures and modeling of Ground Water etc. By establishing one these problems will not occur in future and if so, will be addressed in proper time.
Rayees Ahmad Pir is Hydrogeologist, working at Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources RD&GR, North Western Himalayan Region, Jammu