Published on: 18/07/2011
The government is planning to regulate over-extraction of groundwater in agriculture and industry which is seriously affecting drinking water supply in rural India, new Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said.
"80 per cent of drinking water supply schemes of rural India are depending on groundwater sources and these sources are drying up due to unregulated over-extraction of water for industry and irrigation," Ramesh told PTI. "It is a serious issue. We are planning to regulate over-extraction of groundwater for irrigation and industry".
Drinking water supply schemes are being affected as perennial water sources are becoming seasonal. They are also face pollution by naturally occurring arsenic and fluoride, and by leaching or fertilisers, untreated industrial effluent and sewage.
Source: PTI, MSN News, 17 Jul 2011
