Water level dips by 2.5 metre in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The groundwater levels have dipped in several colonies making them completely dependent on Water Board’s supply.

As per the state ground-water department records, in Hyderabad district limits, if water was available at an average depth of 6.9 metre in December 2013, it plummeted to 9.46 metre in December, 2014 a drop of 2.52 metre or 8.3 ft. In Ranga Reddy district, which forms the major part of the Greater Hyderabad limits, the water level went down to 12.7 metre from 8.62 metre a drop of 4.12 metre or 13.5 ft.

In Hyderabad, the worst drop has been recorded in Nampally and Kulsumpura, where water levels were pushed down by 8.7 metre and 6.7 metre respectively. Underground water was available at a depth of 3 m and 3.7 metre in Nampally and Kulsumpura in December 2013, but dropped to 11.7 metre and 10.4 metre respectively in December 2014.

Marredpally, Sanjeevareddynagar and Darulshifa continue to run out of water. Underground water levels are at the lowest in these three localities at 22.5 metre, 19.6 metre and 11.6 metre respectively. Only three of the total 11 areas showed marginal improvement.

In Ranga Reddy district, out of the 37 mandals, only Tandur recorded marginal improvement by 55 cm. Bantawaram mandal recorded the worst fall in water table with a difference of 18.87 metre. It fell from 5.3 metre in December 2013 to 24.17 metre in December 2014.

Gandeed and Moinabad mandals recorded a fall of up to 12 metre. Groundwater was at 25.56 metre in Moinabad in December 2014.

Experts attribute fall in groundwater levels to the rising number of borewells and improper recharge. Rainwater harvesting methods are also causing the damage to groundwater levels, say experts. Ramesh Kumar, deputy director of the groundwater department said, “The city had  a 40 per cent deficit in rainfall during last monsoon. In certain areas, people are drawing water from up to 250 metre whereas the permitted level is only up to 120 metre.”