Centre notifies 21 blocks to regulate groundwater

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 10

Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar has said that Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), New Delhi, has notified 21 blocks to regulate groundwater development in the state. There are 71 over-exploited, 15 critical, seven semi-critical and 23 safe blocks in the state.

The minister was replying to a call-attention motion of MLAs Kiran Choudhry and Lalit Nagar on the concluding day of the session today.

The state has also enacted ‘The Haryana State Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009’ which prohibits the sowing of paddy before May 15 and transplanting of paddy before June 15.

According to rough estimates, about 3,67,126 hectare in the state suffers from soil salinity and water-logging (water table 0-3.0 meter below ground level) out of which about 52,067 hectare area is under critical condition (water table 0-1.5 meter below ground level). Most of the affected areas fall in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Sonepat, followed by Hisar, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa and Palwal.