India to Boost Spending Seven-Fold to Map Water Aquifers
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India, the second-most populous nation, will boost spending to map underground water resources more than seven-fold to 33 billion rupees ($552 million) as the overuse of wells depletes aquifers, an official said.
“This increase in spending is unheard of,” Sushil Gupta, chairman of Central Ground Water Board, said today in New Delhi. “But it was required. Now we need to shift our focus on not just development but also management.” India spent 4.5 billion rupees in the five years ended April 2012 on groundwater in comparison, he said.