Rajasthan water table on the rise

Even as the Centre plans to come up with stringent legislation for extraction of groundwater in view of worryingly depleting ground water levels, one of the driest states of the country — Rajasthan — seems to be readying itself well to face the brewing crises. Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan (MJSA), a model emulated from Andhra Pradesh, has yielded unprecedented results with increase in water table levels in the parched lands. The programme was launched in January 2015. Focused on preserving maximum rainwater, about a lakh low-cost water harvesting structures including anicuts, ponds and contour trenches, have been constructed in as many as 3,529 villages in the first phase. In the second phase, more villages are expected to be covered to penetrate even the remotest areas of the state, with an estimated expenditure of about Rs 2,200 crore.

“The decreasing groundwater table is an acute problem in this state which sees about 450 mm rainfall,” said Rakesh Reddy who spearheaded the program, adding, “The main idea of this plan is to save as much rain water as we can by creating small water harvesting structures.”