By IANS
New Delhi : Water tables in the country are dipping because of withdrawal of ground water by soft drinks and bottled drinking water companies among others, Minister of State for Water Resources Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav told the Rajya Sabha Tuesday.
“The studies conducted by Central Ground Water Board reveal that the water tables are dipping due to the cumulative effect of domestic, agricultural and industrial uses, including withdrawals of ground water by soft drinks and bottled water companies,” Yadav said in a written reply to a question posed by N.R Govindraja.
A major share of ground water utilisation in the country is still meant for agricultural purposes.
The minister said the Central Ground Water Authority has issued guidelines for regulation of withdrawal of ground water in the over-exploited, critical and semi-critical areas – the three categories formed by the authority based on the water level.