JALDOOT App

In Context

• Recently, the Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat launched the JALDOOT App.

About

• The App  will be used across the country to capture the water level of selected wells in a village. 
• It will enable Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) to measure the water level of selected wells twice a year (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon). 
• These will be representative of the ground water level in that village.

Why is the measurement of the water table necessary?

• 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 groundwater, 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.

Significance

• 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.

Source:PIB