Artificial recharge of aquifers
Recently the Government of India is considering adopting new groundwater recharge methods to solve the water problem.
The central government has planned to artificially recharge groundwater using treated water. Through this, the problem of water scarcity in some parts of Tamil Nadu can be overcome.
Under artificial recharge, the natural runoff of surface water is rectified to increase the groundwater level. Appropriate civil construction techniques are used for the improvement.
Artificial recharge techniques:
- Direct Surface Techniques: These include floods, basin or percolation tanks, stream surges, ditch and furrow systems, over-irrigation, etc.
- Direct sub-surface techniques: These include injection wells or recharge wells, recharge pits and shafts, recharge dug wells, borehole flooding, natural new waterways, filling cavities with water, etc.
- Combination Surface – Sub-surface techniques.
- Indirect techniques: include refilling from surface water sources, improving aquifers, etc.
Advantages of Artificial recharge of groundwater :
- In areas where the aquifer has dried up due to over-development, the continuous supply of water is ensured.
- Helps to conserve and store excess surface water for future needs. It helps in improving the quality of existing ground water through dilution.
- If this effort is successful in Tamil Nadu, it will be implemented in other parts of the country as well.
- A recent study has found that by the year 2025, the situation of groundwater availability in large areas of North-Western and Southern India will become very critical.
