Bihar Starts Geo-mapping of Water Bodies
The Bihar government has begun the exercise of geo-mapping water bodies across the state — known locally as ‘jalkaro’. The water bodies that disappeared after widespread encroachment and the ones recorded as missing in official records will be included as well.
Geo-mapping will help trace and identify all water bodies to ensure proper usage, including harvesting water and conserving it.
The Bihar Remote Sensing Application Centre (BIRSAC) was tasked with handling the geo-mapping exercise.
Geo-mapping will be conducted before and after the monsoon every year.
The exercise will also help the department in utilising the water bodies for commercial purposes as well.
The objective of the mission is to focus on developing wetlands — locally known as chaur.
There are 30,395 water bodies present in the state, according to government records.