Punjab CM approves 14-point action plan to preserve groundwater

Chandigarh : The Punjab government on Friday gave nod to a 14-point Integrated State Water Plan to preserve and replenish water sources in the state. The Punjab government on Friday gave nod to a 14-point Integrated State Water Plan to preserve and replenish water sources in the state.
The plan was approved by chief minister Bhagwant Mann at a meeting of the water resources department here in which he stated that the plan had been prepared in consultation with other departments. He said the situation in Punjab is already alarming as 115 blocks of the state out of total 153 are over exploited in terms of groundwater extraction. The plan focuses on saving the groundwater and enhancing the usage of canal water for various motives, he said.
Mann also expressed concern over the annual average of the lowering of water level by 0.7 metre due to extraction of 5.2 billion cubic metre water. He said there was a need to reduce the groundwater demand, decreasing agricultural water demand, improve the irrigation techniques, replenish the groundwater and artificially augment the groundwater. Additionally, efforts must be made for finding other sustainable sources, deep aquifer exploration and promoting use of surface water.
He further said that the government is duty bound to give water to every tail end user and has already restored 17,000 water courses with an approximate length of about 6,300 kms and 79 canals after 30 to 40 years of abandonment. About the action plan, he said that it should aim to bring around 15,79,379 hectares area under various water efficient techniques such as drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and others instead of conventional irrigation methods to reduce the net water demand and wastage of water by increasing the efficiency.
The CM said the plan will focus on restoration of canal water courses and excess available water will be distributed from canal and its distributaries directly to ponds adjacent to canal and distributaries. The water from the pond will be taken to fields through a lift irrigation system, thereby increasing area under surface irrigation, he said, adding that construction of check dams and new ponds will be done. He also laid stress on deep groundwater study to understand the actual situation, The plan also envisages private sector participation in water management under corporate social responsibility.
Experts meet to tackle water crisis
The Punjab State Farmers' and Farm Workers' Commission (PSFFWC) on Friday held a meeting with water experts and scientists on 15 agenda points on water resources availability and other related issues.
In the meeting chaired by PSFFWC chairman Dr Sukhpal Singh, experts emphasized the need for urgent interventions, including advanced isotopic studies and carbon dating to map the state's depleting groundwater resources, heliborne surveys to identify ancient paleo-channels for enhancing recharge, and a focused strategy to address South-West Punjab's severe waterlogging and salinity issues.
The meeting was attended by Dr Pushpendra Pal Singh, dean (CAPS), IIT Ropar, Dr Sarbjot Kaur, leading scientist on radioactive tools, IIT Ropar, Dr Harshad Kulkarni, assistant professor, IIT Mandi Dr Ranjeet K Jha, IIT Mandi, and Dr Gopal Krishan, Scientist-E, National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee. Earlier, the discussions followed a study commissioned by PSFFWC from the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee in this regard.

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Hindustan Times

2 days ago

• Hindustan Times

Punjab CM approves 14-point action plan to preserve groundwater

Chandigarh : The Punjab government on Friday gave nod to a 14-point Integrated State Water Plan to preserve and replenish water sources in the state. The Punjab government on Friday gave nod to a 14-point Integrated State Water Plan to preserve and replenish water sources in the state. The plan was approved by chief minister Bhagwant Mann at a meeting of the water resources department here in which he stated that the plan had been prepared in consultation with other departments. He said the situation in Punjab is already alarming as 115 blocks of the state out of total 153 are over exploited in terms of groundwater extraction. The plan focuses on saving the groundwater and enhancing the usage of canal water for various motives, he said. Mann also expressed concern over the annual average of the lowering of water level by 0.7 metre due to extraction of 5.2 billion cubic metre water. He said there was a need to reduce the groundwater demand, decreasing agricultural water demand, improve the irrigation techniques, replenish the groundwater and artificially augment the groundwater. Additionally, efforts must be made for finding other sustainable sources, deep aquifer exploration and promoting use of surface water. He further said that the government is duty bound to give water to every tail end user and has already restored 17,000 water courses with an approximate length of about 6,300 kms and 79 canals after 30 to 40 years of abandonment. About the action plan, he said that it should aim to bring around 15,79,379 hectares area under various water efficient techniques such as drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and others instead of conventional irrigation methods to reduce the net water demand and wastage of water by increasing the efficiency. The CM said the plan will focus on restoration of canal water courses and excess available water will be distributed from canal and its distributaries directly to ponds adjacent to canal and distributaries. The water from the pond will be taken to fields through a lift irrigation system, thereby increasing area under surface irrigation, he said, adding that construction of check dams and new ponds will be done. He also laid stress on deep groundwater study to understand the actual situation, The plan also envisages private sector participation in water management under corporate social responsibility. Experts meet to tackle water crisis The Punjab State Farmers' and Farm Workers' Commission (PSFFWC) on Friday held a meeting with water experts and scientists on 15 agenda points on water resources availability and other related issues. In the meeting chaired by PSFFWC chairman Dr Sukhpal Singh, experts emphasized the need for urgent interventions, including advanced isotopic studies and carbon dating to map the state's depleting groundwater resources, heliborne surveys to identify ancient paleo-channels for enhancing recharge, and a focused strategy to address South-West Punjab's severe waterlogging and salinity issues. The meeting was attended by Dr Pushpendra Pal Singh, dean (CAPS), IIT Ropar, Dr Sarbjot Kaur, leading scientist on radioactive tools, IIT Ropar, Dr Harshad Kulkarni, assistant professor, IIT Mandi Dr Ranjeet K Jha, IIT Mandi, and Dr Gopal Krishan, Scientist-E, National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee. Earlier, the discussions followed a study commissioned by PSFFWC from the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee in this regard.

New Indian Express

3 days ago

• New Indian Express

Punjab government unveils 14-point action plan to tackle groundwater crisis; boost canal water use

CHANDIGARH: In a first, the Punjab government on Friday approved a 14-point action plan under its Integrated State Water Plan to preserve and replenish groundwater, as the state faces an annual average water table decline of 0.7 metre. Chairing a meeting of the Water Resources Department regarding the Integrated State Water Plan, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the plan has been meticulously prepared by the department in consultation with all relevant government departments. He said the situation is already alarming, with 115 out of 153 blocks in the state categorised as over-exploited in terms of groundwater extraction. The plan, he said, focuses on conserving groundwater and increasing the use of canal water for various purposes. This will be achieved by reducing groundwater demand, lowering agricultural water usage, improving irrigation techniques, and replenishing and artificially augmenting groundwater. Mann added that efforts will also focus on identifying sustainable water sources, exploring deep aquifers, and promoting the use of surface water. He noted that the government has already restored 17,000 water courses covering approximately 6,300 km, which had been abandoned for 30 to 40 years. Additionally, 79 canals spanning 545 km have also been restored. Mann approved a 14-point action plan that includes an effective irrigation strategy to ensure optimal water use in fields. The plan aims to bring around 15,79,379 hectares under water-efficient techniques such as drip and sprinkler irrigation, moving away from conventional methods to reduce net water demand and increase efficiency.

Business Standard

13-06-2025

• Business Standard

Search for answers begins in Air India crash that killed 241 people

By P R Sanjai, Mihir Mishra and Danny Lee Investigators have started combing the wreckage of Air India flight AI171 as they seek to determine what caused the Boeing Co. Dreamliner to crash shortly after takeoff Thursday afternoon, killing all but one of the 242 people aboard in the deadliest aviation accident in more than a decade. On Friday morning, one of the two so-called black boxes, which contain critical evidence of a plane's final minutes, was located, according to the Hindustan Times. The report didn't specify which of the flight data or cockpit voice recorder was recovered. The accident site is a scene of total devastation, with burnt debris and scattered aircraft parts still smoldering. The BJ Medical Hostel, where medical students were dining at the time of the accident, has been severely damaged, with four tower blocks half-burnt and blackened. Firefighters continue to spray water on the site, while police and officials work to clear the wreckage. The focus yesterday was on rescue efforts, while the search for material evidence starts today, said a senior official from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India, who asked not to be named discussing private matters. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly visited the crash site on Friday morning. Questions are growing over how and why the 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, exploded into a huge fireball just minutes after takeoff. Video footage shared on social media showed a plume of smoke at the crash site. The miraculous survival of one passenger, Ramesh Vishwaskumar is also unexplained. Vishwaskumar, who was seated in the first row of economy class, may be able to offer valuable clues as to what caused the accident. Officials on Thursday said that emergency responders had recovered more than 200 bodies, though they didn't immediately say how many were passengers, crew or area residents. 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'If the weight is low compared to the actual, you end up with not enough commanded power.' The pilots in command issued a mayday call immediately after takeoff to air traffic controllers, according to India's civil aviation regulator. The aircraft was in the command of captain Sumeet Sabharwal and first officer Clive Kundar, who had 8,200 flying hours and 1,100 flying hours of experience, respectively, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. According to air traffic control data, the jet departed from Ahmedabad at 1:39 p.m. local time using runway 23. After the initial mayday call, there was no response from the cockpit to subsequent calls made by controllers on the ground. Thursday's crash marks the first-ever complete loss of a 787, a plane Boeing introduced more than a decade ago with advanced lightweight composite materials that improve fuel efficiency. The 787 has become a crucial source of revenue for Boeing, with 1,148 of the jets in service globally. 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Early last year, a nearly-new 737 Max aircraft lost a door panel during flight. While there were no fatalities, the accident plunged the company into a deep crisis. Under international rules for aviation crash investigations — known as 'Annex 13' — a probe is led by air safety authorities in the country where the crash occurred, with assistance from other countries. Investigators typically issue a preliminary report within a few weeks. A final report, which includes safety recommendations, is then released a year to two later.