4-Environmentally Compatible Groundwater Management in Urban Agglomeration of Ganga Basin.

Abstract

Accelerating water demand, limited and diminishing availability of surface water, fast declining trends of groundwater levels in unconfined zone and increasing pollution in surface water makes urban life environmentally unfit and unhealthy. Ganga basin which constitutes 26% of the total geographical area of the country possesses a population of 357 million, which is nearly 42% of the total population of the country. Besides surface water, the total availability of groundwater for industrial and domestic uses in the basin is about 20390 MCM/year. However, the groundwater resource in Ganga Basin is becoming scarce day by day, as a result of which, in the near future the availability of water for survival of humanity will be difficult. This will also affect the economic growth of the region. It is assumed that due to urbanization and industrialisation, the basin will transform into a highly polluted and deficit basin by 2050, if proper preventive and water conservation methods are not followed and adopted. The present paper deals with the various aspects of the impacts of urbanization on groundwater, i.e., lowering of water table, excess runoff surface water and groundwater pollution in major cities of Ganga Basin. For environmentally compatible and sustainable groundwater development, the management measures specific to the area have been discussed. The legislative measures are also suggested for suitable development of groundwater and conserving surface water in urban micro-watersheds to prevent and control the environmental deterioration.