While the State Government is trying to manage water crisis in Ranchi and is looking for a long term solution to the receding underground water table across Jharkhand at the same time, it has turned a blind eye to requirements of the Ground Water Directorate (GWD).
The GWD, which measures underground water level and works for the replenishment of the same, is facing staff crunch for many years. The directorate which works under the Water Resources department has written several times to the parent department but all its attempts to draw attention towards the state of affairs fell flat. The service rules framed for the directorate has been returned by the department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms & Raj Bhasa with several queries.
“All our requests to provide manpower have been put aside on the pretext of anomaly in the service rules that was framed,” said Director GWD, SlS Jageshwar adding “sometimes the files are returned for insignificant mistakes like a missing comma.”
The GWD works for replenishment of underground water level and in the process has constructed recharge pits at several locations.
The GWD is short of one Geophysicist, 16 Hydro-geologist, 11 Chemists and two Deputy Directors. Interestingly, the directorate will become short of four Deputy Directors of GWD Ranchi are due to retire on May 31 while the Deputy Director of Hazaribagh is going back to Bihar cadre.
“The Deputy Director of Hazaribagh division J.N.Jha is going back to Bihar cadre,” said Jageshwar. The letter seeking his transfer to Bihar cadre has been issued, confirmed another official of GWD.
The shortage of staff is said to be affecting the groundwater measurement work adversely and compounds the problems so far as measuring the accurate level of underground water is concerned.
The Directorate will conduct pre-monsoon underground water measurement from June 1 to 15. There is a probability of getting incorrect measurement during the said period for pre-monsoon measurement
“The water level recedes by many inches everyday during summer and considering the span of pre-monsoon measurement there are chances that we may get erroneous results,” said an official of GWD.
There are around 510 hydrographic stations used for measuring groundwater level across Jharkhand.
The three divisions- Ranchi, Hazaribagh & Dumka are responsible for measuring the hydrographic stations. “Due to shortage of staff covering so many hydrographic stations becomes a tough task,” said deputy director GWD, Devbrat Banerjee.