CENTRAL GROUND WATER BOARD

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Ground Water Exploration

Ground water exploration aided by drilling is one of the major activities of the Board with an objective to discover aquifers in different hydrogeological conditions and determination of hydraulic parameters. Large-scale sub-surface exploration programme for ground water was initiated during 1954. In the initial years, exploratory drilling activities were confined to alluvial tracts in major river basins and sub mountainous bouldary tracts of Himalayan foothills. In mid eighties, CGWB added 26 new DTH drilling rigs in its fleet with which the exploratory drilling in hard rock regions gained momentum. The major thrust of exploratory drilling programme in nineties was in areas underlain by hard rock. Another important development in first half of nineties was introduction of open hole drilling technology in India. CGWB acquired seven percussion drilling rigs for exploratory drilling in bouldary/ semi-consolidated formations in Himalyan foothills from Jammu & Kashmir in north west to Arunachal Pradesh in north east. These exploration programmes formed the background of scientific evaluation of the water bearing properties of various rock formations.

About 32231 wells have been drilled by Central Ground Water Board throughout the country. CGWB has undertaken ground water exploration programme in water deficient areas in the country, including tribal and drought prone areas. The successful wells have been handed over to the respective State Governments for public water supply. Board had also come forward in disaster mitigation activities during Latur earthquake during 1993, Bhuj earthquake during 2001, Super cyclone in Orissa during 2000 and Tsunami hit coastal belt of Tamil Nadu & Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands during 2004 by way of construction of tube wells for water supply. Presently, CGWB is also focussing on accelerated exploration in the areas having the problem of water availability and water quality in order to come out with ground water management plan in these areas

The CGWB possess 95 drilling rigs comprising of 33 direct rotary rigs, 13 percussion/combination rigs and 49 down the hole hammer drilling rigs, which enable CGWB to drill almost in any geological formation of the country. Groundwater exploration also being reoriented to generate additional data under National Aquifer Mapping programme in order to refine sub surface disposition for the  preparation of aquifer maps.   

State wise status of Bore wells Drilled by CGWB is given as under:-

S No.	STATE/UT	EW	OW	PZ	EW	OW	PZ	SH	DW	Total	TOTAL                                      (I + II)
		(I) Through Outsourcing                                                (Contractual)			(II) Through Departmental Rigs
A.	STATES
1	Andhra Pradesh	90			1310	813	665	14	31	2833	2923
2	Arunachal Pradesh				34	5		1	1	41	41
3	Assam				376	170	58	16	42	662	662
4	Bihar				292	180	74	10	514	1070	1070
5	Chhattisgarh	300		105	638	193	152		28	1011	1416
6	Goa				58	18	14		31	121	121
7	Gujarat	165			962	452	498	25	255	2192	2357
8	Haryana	21	2	80	379	257	217	23	170	1046	1149
9	Himachal Pradesh				198	12	3	1		214	214
10	Jammu & Kashmir	21			343	70	36	8	114	571	592
11	Jharkhand	82	8		326	159	35	4	71	595	685
12	Karnataka	120			1298	623	353	7	5	2286	2406
13	Kerala	10			465	163	231	16	13	888	898
14	Madhya Pradesh	364	8	80	1009	650	176	8	149	1992	2444
15	Maharashtra	80		88	1243	462	160	2	166	2033	2201
16	Manipur				25	11			2	38	38
17	Meghalaya				92	24	2	2	8	128	128
18	Mizoram				3	3				6	6
19	Nagaland				12	4			3	19	19
20	Orissa	439		67	1403	329	130	21	191	2074	2580
21	Punjab	19	3		182	196	85	20	14	497	519
22	Rajasthan	225			1156	412	523	93	591	2775	3000
23	Sikkim	0			31	9				40	40
24	Tamil Nadu	110		179	964	369	248	13	93	1687	1976
25	Tripura				60	26		4	22	112	112
26	Uttarakhand				59	6	1	1	129	196	196
27	Uttar Pradesh	245	12		871	583	169	40	501	2164	2421
28	West Bengal			100	457	218	170	12	82	939	1039
	TOTAL(A)	2291	33	699	14246	6417	4000	341	3226	28230	31253
B.	UNION TERRITORIES
1	Andaman & Nicobar				46	13		1		60	60
2	Chandigarh				7	17	14	2	15	55	55
3	Dadra & NagarHaveli				12	1				13	13
4	Delhi				149	64	160	13	380	766	766
5	Daman & Diu						7			7	7
6	Pondicherry				30	20	8	5	14	77	77
	TOTAL(B)	0		0	244	115	189	21	409	978	978
	GRAND TOTAL(A+B)	2291	33	699	14490	6532	4189	362	3635	29208	32231