The Yogi government has accelerated scientific efforts to conserve groundwater and ensure long-term water security in the state. As part of this initiative, the government has launched a Rs. 1.65-crore ‘Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Project’ in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab. Under this three-year project, groundwater will be recharged by taking rainwater to aquifers, the underground water reservoirs. The most important component of the project is identifying an approximately 200-kilometer-long ancient underground river/paleochannel system between Kanpur and Prayagraj. According to scientists, these old river channels can still help move water underground.
Dr. Rajesh Kumar Prajapati, Special Secretary and Director, Ground Water Department, Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department, stated that scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), National Geophysical Research Institute (NCRI), Hyderabad, have studied the aquifers and ancient river systems existing beneath the Ganga-Yamuna Doab using modern technology. They used aerial geophysical surveys and techniques such as borehole logging for this purpose.
The study has identified an approximately 200-kilometer-long ancient underground river, that is, a paleochannel system, between Prayagraj and Kanpur. In simple terms, traces of old river channels have been found beneath the ground, which can still play an important role in groundwater flow.
The project’s direct objective is to prevent rainwater from flowing away wastefully and instead direct it to underground aquifers. Aquifers are natural layers beneath the ground that store water. Groundwater is obtained from these through wells and tube wells. Scientific studies will help determine where and through which routes rainwater can easily reach underground. Based on this, the project will select suitable recharge locations.
The Ground Water Department, Uttar Pradesh, is implementing the project with financial assistance from the National Mission for Clean Ganga. The total cost is Rs. 1.65 crore, and the duration is three years. The first phase selected six locations. Pilot studies will be conducted here and groundwater recharge structures will be constructed. These structures will take water underground, and the results will be continuously monitored.
At six pilot locations, the impact of recharge structures on groundwater levels and the manner in which local aquifers absorb rainwater will be studied. This will also determine which recharge system is more effective at different locations. Based on the results obtained during the pilot phase, the project will be expanded to other suitable locations in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab. This will help in preparing groundwater recharge plans for a larger area in the future.
The NGRI study has found indications of a hydrogeological relationship between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and the major aquifers present underground. Ancient river channels may also be important pathways for groundwater flow within aquifers. This project will help improve understanding of the relationship between rivers, rainwater, groundwater, and ancient river channels. This information will be useful for future groundwater conservation plans.
Prabhash Kumar, Additional Project Director, Namami Gange, said that, with technical support from NGRI, the project will undertake groundwater monitoring, research and development, and scientific assessment of the impact of recharge structures. Along with this, the project will also conduct Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities to raise awareness about groundwater conservation.
Preparation underway to increase groundwater in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, aquifers to be recharged through Rs. 1.65-Crore project
Groundwater conservation to get new direction along this route, groundwater recharge to begin at six locations
Three-year groundwater recharge project launched, NGRI Technology to identify other suitable locations
