A REVIEW ON GROUNDWATER EXPLOITATION IN THE HOLY CITY OF VARANASI (INDIA)

Varanasi city is located on the banks of the river Ganga . It is also situated right over parts of Indo - Gangetic plain which has the largest aquifer system in the country. The climate of the area is such that it receives good amounts of rainfall in monsoon season which recharges the aquifer system in good amounts . The exploitation of an available water resource must always be closely linked to the ecology of the available pasture and to its actual or potential carrying capacity in terms of human and livestock units. Overdevelopment is not only wasteful of scarce r esources, but it also carries the potential danger that, by attracting increased numbers of livestock without adequate control, the available forage is overutilised to its eventual destruction. Although studies have mentioned that the groundwater level in the Varanasi area is going down, there is still enough water for the needs of the people. Then why is clean drinking water is so inaccessible to the people of the city? Why there are so many water borne diseases? Why do the people of the city complain abou t foul smell from the water being supplied to them? Most important of all, why is there not enough water for the entire population? The answers to all these questions are not a secret. This paper emphasizes the important concerned points responsible for th ese issues and about some necessary steps to be taken to eradicate them.