Sri Vijaya Puram, March 12: A Union Territory–level workshop on ‘Utilization of Outcomes of National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) Phase-I and Phase-II by the A&N Administration’ was organized yesterday at Megapode Resort. The workshop was conducted in hybrid mode by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Eastern Region (ER), Kolkata, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, under the guidance of Smt. Sandhya Yadav, Regional Director, CGWB, ER, Kolkata. A total of 110 participants from various line Departments attended the UT Level workshop.
The programme was inaugurated in the presence of distinguished dignitaries and experts from various Government Departments, Research Institutes, and Academic Organizations. The Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS addressed the gathering and highlighted the significance of NAQUIM programme in strengthening water security and guiding evidence-based policy decisions. He also emphasized the need for rejuvenation of existing groundwater abstraction structures like dug wells that have become defunct due to lack of citizen awareness. Er. T K Prijith Rekh, Chief Engineer, APWD was also present on the occasion.
The Regional Director, CGWB, Eastern Region, in her keynote address, highlighted the importance of aquifer mapping for sustainable groundwater management in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dr. Jai Sunder, Director, Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI) as the guest of honour emphasized on the importance of integrated water resource management to support sustainable agriculture management and promoting livelihood of the farmers in A&N Islands. He also stressed the urgent need to adopt integrated farming system with precision agriculture to ensure optimal utilization of the precious freshwater resources with minimum wastage.
During the inaugural session, the NAQUIM reports prepared by CGWB and published in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, were formally released.
Technical deliberations on outcomes of NAQUIM Phase-I and Phase-II were discussed in details by Scientists from CGWB, ER, Kolkata during both the sessions. The topics covered aquifer mapping and management with focus on groundwater hydrology, groundwater resources assessment, integrated water resources management with involvement of the stakeholders, groundwater geophysics, hydro-meteorology, groundwater quality, agricultural water resources management, climatological forecasting and its relevance in water resources management and relevance of desalinization by an industry expert. Scientists from CGWB, Eastern Region, presented findings from NAQUIM Phase-I and Phase-II studies conducted in South Andaman district, North and Middle Andaman district, and Nicobar Islands.
Experts from Institutions such as Pondicherry University, Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, and various Departments of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration like APWD, Agriculture Department and Forest Department shared their insights on local issues on groundwater resources management and agricultural water management in the island ecosystems.
The programme concluded with an interactive feedback and question–answer session, during which representatives from Departments such as APWD, Agriculture, MES, DBRAIT, ANIIDCO, and Municipal authorities discussed the practical application of NAQUIM outcomes for groundwater planning and sustainable water resource management in the islands.
The one-day Union Territory Level Workshop served as an important platform for scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders to deliberate on groundwater challenges and to strengthen coordinated efforts toward sustainable water management in the A&N Islands.