Focus: Facts for Prelims
Why in News?
Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, will launch the “JALDOOT App”.
About JALDOOT App
- Ministry of Rural Development has developed “JALDOOT App” that will be used across the country to capture the water level of selected wells in a village.
- The Jaldoot app will enable Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) to measure the water level of selected wells twice a year (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon).
- In every village, adequate number of measurement locations (2-3) shall need to be selected. These will be representative of the ground water level in that village.
- The app will facilitate panchayats with robust data, which can be further used for better planning of works.
- The ground water data could be utilised as part of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and Mahatma Gandhi NREGA planning exercises. Further, the data can also be used for different kinds of research and other purposes.
Need for JALDOOT App:
- The country has taken many steps for improvement of water management both in the rural and urban areas, through watershed development, afforestation, water body development and renovation, rainwater harvesting and so on.
- However, withdrawal of ground water, as also utilization of surface water sources has reached critical levels in many parts of the country, resulting in significant depletion of water levels causing distress to the community, including farmers.
- Therefore measurement and observation of the levels of water tables across the country has become necessary.
