Water Scarcity in Semi-Arid Regions of Bankura District, West Bengal, India-Problems and Prospects

Abstract

Water is essential for all socio-economic development and for maintaining a healthy ecosystem in the world. At present, reduction of water scarcity is prime goal of many countries and governments. Water scarcity is one of the most important concerns of present day geographers as water is the central subject of all kinds of developmental activities. Bankura is one of the most backward districts of West Bengal in terms of economic and human development and also it has largest schedule tribe population. Water scarcity is a regular threat for the people of Bankura district which has a great negative impact on development of Bankura. In the present work, drought prone region of Bankura district is selected for analysis of water scarcity problems and prospect. In the present study area, subsurface sources of water are not equally accessible to all. Withdrawal of subsurface water requires huge investment and technology to get access to deeper aquifers. So it is very crucial to free the people of Bankura from this curse of water scarcity. For this purpose, the present paper has been designed for the identification of root causes of water scarcity of Bankura. But it is impossible to reduce the present day scenario of water scarcity of Bankura without investigating the true causes of water scarcity for further water resource management planning of the district.