Karnataka will prioritise groundwater recharge through surface water sources, Small Irrigation Minister Ajay Singh said in a statement on October 5, citing findings from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti’s second water bodies census.
Singh said 8,353 of Karnataka’s 28,075 water bodies, or 30%, are currently being used for groundwater recharge. The state government is considering measures to increase the share of water bodies serving this function, he said.
The minister’s statement identified ponds, tanks and other similar water bodies as the main assets being used for recharge. Karnataka’s 30% share is higher than the corresponding figures cited for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, but lower than Tamil Nadu’s 34.3%.
According to the figures released by the minister, 27.5% of water bodies in Telangana, 19.2% in Andhra Pradesh and 15.3% in Kerala are being used for groundwater recharge. The statement did not provide a timeline or details of the proposed measures to expand Karnataka’s coverage.
Singh said 96% of Karnataka’s water bodies are located in rural areas. Their conservation and the strengthening of their recharge capacity would directly affect agriculture, drinking water, livestock rearing and rural water conservation, he said.
The announcement places the state’s tanks, ponds and other surface water assets at the centre of its groundwater strategy. The next steps will depend on how the government translates the stated priority into conservation and recharge measures for the 28,075 water bodies identified in the census figures.