Wetlands are critical for monsoon recharge of ground water, in Gujarat

From the archive record

A variety of wetland waterfowl including a lesser flamingo, several species of ducks and cormorants. As the agricultural demand for water underwent an exponential growth in north Gujarat during 1960-1990, there was an explosion of tube wells powered by high capacity pump sets to meet this demand, as surface water supplies were extremely limited. While irrigated agriculture flourished, groundwater draft far exceeded the recharge. Table 1 shows talukawise figures of the stage of groundwater development in north Gujarat, as per the estimates of the government of Gujarat [GoG 1999]. As compared to the rest of Gujarat, north Gujarat, has a significantly larger proportion of talukas classified as ‘over-exploited’ and ‘dark’. Over-exploitation of groundwater had caused drying up of open wells and