By IANS,
Lucknow : Changing lifestyle and increasing population are putting increasing pressure on the already depleting ground water reserves, and there is urgent need to conserve it, Uttar Pradesh Rural Development Minister Daddu Prasad said Thursday.
He was speaking at a brainstorming session on the Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Conservation, Protection and Development Bill.
The event was held jointly by WaterAid India and FANSA (Freshwater Action Network South Asia).
“Changing lifestyles and population pressure has increased the exploitation of ground water and the bill is a move towards protection and conservation of the same,” he said. “We cannot be satisfied only by restricting the exploitation of ground water but the need is to think about its recharge too.”
Presenting the salient features of the bill, Neelkanth, the regional coordinator for Global Transparency Fund, FANSA, said the proposed law stresses on an institutional mechanism to check ground water exploitation but does not mention replenishment of ground water.
He also said that the bill was silent on the role of other departments like rural development, panchayat raj, irrigation and industry.