Why in news:

• The Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) has formulated an action plan to reduce the underground water gap in the state in the coming three years.

Key Points:

• The water gap is the difference between the available water at any place and the quantity being used there. More water than available is being used in several parts of the state which creates a water gap there. To reduce this gap, the authority has planned to encourage the change of crops, zero tillage and micro irrigation.
• As per the state government’s plans in this regard, in order to review the progress of the district water resources, plan 2022-25 is being prepared by all 22 districts in Haryana. In order to formulate an action plan, a high level meeting has been held by the Haryana Water Resources Authority chairperson with the superintending engineers of the irrigation and water resources department.
• Going forward, the Haryana Water Resources Authority has reviewed the three-year action plan in order to reduce the water gap by 45 per cent in three years — 10 per cent in the first year, 15 per cent in the second year and 20 per cent in the third year in water depleted as well as waterlogged areas. In this regrad, the Haryana Water Resources Authority has lauded the efforts made by the district administration of Yamunanagar and Ambala which are leading in their efforts.
• As far as the short term course of action is concerned, according to Atal Bhujal Yojana’s Haryana project director Satbir Singh Kadian the districts have been instructed to complete the formulation of the district water resources plan by October 24 this year.
• It is noteworthy here that according to the data compiled by the groundwater cell of the state irrigation department sourcing it from field units and Central Ground Water Authority, nearly 41 per cent of villages of the state have been found in the category of “groundwater stressed”, while 18 per cent have been found in the classification of “potential groundwater stressed”.