Aquifer mapping study in three districts: WRD awaits govt nod for fund
CHENNAI: The Water Resources Department (WRD) has been awaiting state government's approval for nearly seven months to sanction Rs 6.3 crore for a pilot study on village-level aquifer mapping in the districts of Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, and Krishnagiri—areas classified as 'over-exploited' in terms of groundwater availability. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted in December last year.
The WRD currently conducts groundwater mapping at the firka level across all districts except Chennai. Of the roughly 1,200 firkas in Tamil Nadu, nearly 400 have been categorised as over-exploited, with many others in critical or semi-critical condition. In the three targeted districts, around 50% of the firkas fall under the over-exploited category due to agricultural, industrial, and domestic use.
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