Amidst the threat of drought looming large over Karnataka, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department is planning to take up mapping of all the water sources in an effort to tackle the dry spell more effectively. It is perhaps for the first time that the State is taking up such a comprehensive data collecting exercise related to water sources.
RDPR & IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge told The Hindu that a water audit committee, comprising experts from various organisations, would be formed for the exercise.
The Minister explained that now various government departments and public sector organisations had their own data related to water sources, but were working in silos. They could all be brought together through the water audit committee, he noted.
Scattered data
“Presently, ISRO has data on water sources while Major and Minor Irrigation Department too has its own data. We (RDPR Department) have some data and Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC) also has data on various water sources,” he said. RDPR now intends to map every water source, including streams and public as well as private borewells.
After mapping, the water sources would be labelled as “usable” and “not usable.” “If the sources are labelled as usable, then we will look at how best they could be used and if they are not, we will also look at whether they could be rejuvenated,” he said. According to the Minister, the exercise would help the authorities tackle the drought in a better and efficient manner as there will be a comprehensive and clear understanding of water availability. It would serve as a basis for deciding the quantum of funds to be allocated to different areas to tackle water shortage, he noted.
The government would also come out with a relevant plan to conserve and effectively manage the available water resources based on the data from the proposed mapping exercise, the minister said.
Focus on local level
Mr. Priyank, who also holds the IT portfolio, said relevant technology would be used in understanding the data. He said the department would give priority for proper management of water resources at the local level, and the Department had already planned recharging of 27,000 borewells.
