Abstract In general, Chhattisgarh state is underlain by hard rocks with limited groundwater potentials. But decline of rainfall in most parts of the state is limiting surface water resources too. Agriculture is mostly rainfed, paddy being the main crop in the state. Groundwater is the main source of irrigation and a major source of drinking water. Cavernous limestones/dolomites form the most potential aquifers yielding up to 50 lps as in Bastar, Baloda Bazar and Bilaspur districts. Proposal for construction of energized irrigation dug/bore wells under PMKSY-HKKP-GW scheme in 109 blocks (stage of extraction within 60%) of 7 aspirational districts will enhance ground water irrigation of 7467 ha land. The stage of extraction has already escalated from 5.11% (1990) to 44.43% (2017) which will be escalated further with ongoing and future development programs. The State should undertake conservation of groundwater through regulation, protection and augmentation of the water resources by implementing rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge, along with adoption of rainfed agriculture, drip or sprinkler irrigation, pricing policy for commercial ground water extraction, exploration and planned development of yet unknown aquifers through exploratory drilling aided by remote sensing, geophysics. Based on declining groundwater level trends areas totalling 16,410 sq. km have been demarcated for rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge creating sub-surface ground water storage potential of 1030.11 MCM and an additional irrigation potential of 148430 ha. Further, groundwater pollution from geogenic and anthropogenic sources like high fluoride, arsenic, uranium, sulphate, nitrate as in Rajnandgaon, Durg, Bilaspur, Raipur and Kwardha districts is also a potential threat to the utilisable resources. This paper attempts at a holistic overview of sustainable development and management of ground water resources of the state considering the huge hydrogeological, geophysical and chemical database in the state.

Abstract: A diverse assemblage of microorganisms are being discovered in black bedded, nodular and lenticular silicified cherts in the limestone/dolomite sequence of the Saradih Formation, Raipur Group, Baradwar sub-basin - a part of main Chhattisgarh basin, India. The composition of microbiota in the present assemblage includes 33 genera (9 acritarchs and 24 cyanobacteria) of different morphotypes categorized as: Acritarchs — Comasphaeridium, Dictyotidium, Favososphaeridium, Leiosphaeridia, Meghystrichosphaeridium, Navifusa, Tianzhushania, Trachyhystrichosphaera and Trachysphaeridium; Coccoids — Eoentophysalis, Eomicrocystis, Eosynechococcus, Glenobotrydion, Gloeodiniopsis, Myxococcoides, Palaeoanacystis, Scissilisphaera, Sphaerophycus and Tasmanites; Filaments — Archaeotrichion , Biocatenoides, Cephalophytarion, Cyanonema, Eomicrocoleus, Heliconema, Oscillatoriopsis, Palaeolyngbya, Partitiofilum, Polybessurus, Polythrichoides, Siphonophycus, Richnonema , and Veteronostocale. Like equivalent Proterozoic microbiota, the Saradih assemblage includes extensively well preserved morphotypes of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic affinities representing planktic and benthic habitats belonging to different groups and families. The mat forming and mat dwelling forms are abundant in Saradih assemblage. Mat-dwelling microbenthos and possible coastal microplanktons are abundant in subtidal to lower intertidal settings whereas, densely woven mat populations with few associated taxa characterized more restricted parts of tidal flats. The preservation of vertically oriented sheaths and bundles indicates that in these mats carbonate cementation was commonly penecontemporaneous with mat growth. The microbiotic population in present finding are widely recorded from the peritidal to open shelf carbonate facies of the Late Neoproterozoic (Cryogenian) sediments across world.