Central Ground Water Board:
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) recently stated in its Annual Ground Water Quality Report-2025 that Andhra Pradesh is one of the States facing widespread contamination of groundwater as per the BIS standards.
- It is a multidisciplinary scientific organization of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
- It is the National Apex Agency entrusted with the responsibilities of providing scientific inputs for management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation, and regulation of groundwater resources of the country.
- It was established in 1970 by renaming the Exploratory Tube wells Organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
- It was merged with the Ground Water Wing of the Geological Survey of India during 1972.
- It mandate to Develop and disseminate technologies and monitor and implement national policies for the scientific and sustainable development and management of India’s groundwater resources.
- It is headed by the Chairman and has five members.
- CGWB is a multidisciplinary scientific organization consisting of Hydrogeologists, Geophysicists, Chemists, Hydrologists, Hydrometeorologists, and Engineers.
- It has four main wings, namely
- Sustainable Management & Liaison (SML)
- Survey, Assessment & Monitoring (SAM)
- Exploratory Drilling & Materials Management (ED&MM)
- Water Quality & Training and Technology Transfer (WQ&TT).
- Headquarters: Bhujal Bhawan, Faridabad, Haryana.
- The major activities of the CGWB are National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) involving the preparation of Aquifer Maps and Management Plans, Groundwater explorations to delineate groundwater-worthy areas and potential aquifers, Geophysical surveys to delineate groundwater bearing zones, etc.
