A team of scientists from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will carry out a comprehensive study of the status of the groundwater table in the area between Gomti and Sai rivers across six districts of the state, including Lucknow.
The three-year study, sanctioned by the Union Ministry for Water Resources, will also project the impact of climate change on the status of the groundwater table in the region over the next 20 years.
The impact of Ramganga canal, which flows through the six districts in between the two rivers on the groundwater- table, will also be studied as part of the project.
The six districts to be studied are: Lucknow, Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Jaunpur. The covered area supports nearly 10 per cent of the state's population.
Gomti River originates in Pilibhit and meets Ganga near Kaithi in Varanasi after travelling nearly 900 km crossing different districts, including the six under study. Sai River, a tributary of Gomti, originates in Hardoi and joins Gomti in Jaunpur. Both the rivers are facing problems, including pollution and encroachment on their flood plains.
The Water Resources Ministry, as part of its research and development, utilises the services of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to liaise with institutions for taking up environmental studies that could provide solutions for future. BHU's Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD) had submitted a project to CGWB's Lucknow office last year.
"After necessary vetting, the project was cleared and the funds sanctioned. The work is likely to begin soon," said Said-ul-Haq, scientist, CGWB, and co-principal investigator of the project.
Associate Professor (IESD) Dr R K Mall, principal investigator of the project, said, "The groundwater table in the area under study is stressed. Rivers feed the table and vice-versa. Also, change in the table is dependent on factors like rainfall, climate, population and agriculture. We will study these factors and make projections on how things will change over the next 20 years and what can be done to mitigate the development of any negative pattern."
Haq said, "We'll work to quantify the impact on the table in the wake of changes in climate, rainfall, agricultural pattern and population pressures," adding, "We'll have to provide authentic data on the corresponding changes in the groundwater table if, say, rainfall pattern changes by a certain degree." The study is likely to begin in the next few months.
