Why in News?

• CGWB has been entrusted with the responsibilities of developing & disseminating
  technologies, monitoring national policies for the scientific and sustainable development
  and management of India’s ground water resources.

Highlights:

• It periodically takes up various studies which include ground water management studies, exploratory drilling programmes, monitoring ground water level and water quality through a network of ground water observation wells etc.
• The result collected is shared with the concerned States for taking up suitable ground water specific interventions.

National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM):

• The NAQUIM is an initiative of the Ministry of Water Resources for mapping and managing the entire aquifer systems in the country.
• It maintains the Hydrological Map of India.
• It was initiated as a part of the Ground Water Management and Regulation scheme to delineate and characterize the aquifers to develop plans for ground water management.

Objectives:

• It aims:
• to identify and map aquifers at the micro level,
• to quantify the available groundwater resources, and
• to propose plans appropriate to the scale of demand and aquifer characteristics, and institutional arrangements for participatory management
• The AQUIM project is implemented in six selected areas in different hydrogeological environs of the country as shown below: