RAIPUR,CG: The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) released a groundwater district brochure for Balod district in Hindi, which provides a detailed understanding of the district's groundwater scenario.

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), NCCR, and Central Water Commission (CWC), Raipur, recently held their second quarterly dialogue meeting at the Directorate of Agriculture, Indravatin Bhawan, Naya Raipur. Dr. M.P. Tripathi, Professional Head of the Soil and Water Engineering Department at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, was the chief guest. Dr. Prabir K. Naik, Regional Director of CGWB; C.B. Londhekar, Additional Director of the Directorate of Agriculture; and Devi Shankar Goyal, Deputy Director of the Central Water Commission, were also present.

Dr. Naik delivered the welcome address and presented an interactive overview highlighting water usage across various sectors in Chhattisgarh, crop diversification, groundwater challenges, the impact of groundwater extraction for summer paddy, filling of ponds from bore wells, and climate change. He also discussed CGWB’s initiatives and necessary interventions for both demand and supply sides in Chhattisgarh, emphasizing the importance of reducing, reusing, recycling, recharging, and respecting water resources.

Dr. Tripathi spoke about the groundwater potential of the state and managing excess runoff. Goyal addressed the activities of the CWC, emphasizing data dissemination policy, water resource assessment, river management, hydrological data collection, and technical assistance to state departments. He also provided insights into crop production in the Rabi season.

C.B. Londhekar discussed the availability of subsidized seeds for maize and millets to support crop diversification in the state. The technical session concluded with an interactive Q&A session between the participants and the guests.

The program was attended by 45 participants, including Deputy Directors from various districts' Departments of Agriculture, scientists, and officers from CWC, PHED, RGNGWTRI, NABARD, Department of Economics and Statistics, and Zila Panchayat. Afsana Tanveer Khan, Assistant Project Officer at Zila Panchayat Raipur, requested technical assistance from CGWB for evaluating the feasibility of artificial recharge of groundwater in aquifers and selecting appropriate structures for Raipur district and Dharsiwa block.

Dr. Naik also explained the role of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) in groundwater regulation, stating that all mines, industries, and infrastructure projects must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC).