Telangana groundwater level receding

Hyderabad: Telangana's groundwater levels are plummeting. The average groundwater level of Telangana in post-monsoon which was recorded in November has gone from bad to worse over the past few years. This year it was recorded at 12.39 metres below ground level as against 9.04 mbgl in 2012.

The same was the case of Hyderabad where the groundwater was recorded at 9.50 mbgl in November this year, down from 6.68 mbgl in November, 2012. A serious cause of worry is that Ranga Reddy and Medak districts, where huge real estate projects are coming up are one among the worst districts in the state in terms of groundwater levels, along with Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar.

The groundwater department of Telangana found that Medak and Ranga Reddy have 55 per cent and 18 per cent wells respectively with water levels plummeting to more than 20 metres below ground level.

Ranga Reddy has 50 per cent wells and Medak has 36 per cent in the 10-20 metres range, pointing towards tough times ahead for the residents of these two districts. Compared to pre-monsoon data of this year, collected in May, this year’s post-monsoon groundwater level of Telangana has increased marginally just by 0.88 meters.

The main reason behind it is that the state received 24 per cent deficit rainfall because of which groundwater was not recharged adequately at many places. In Hyderabad the post-monsoon groundwater level this year was recorded at 9.50 mbgl which is almost same as November last year, which was 9.37mbgl.

However, compared to the pre-monsoon level of 11.82 mbgl, the groundwater level has improved by 2.32 mbgl due to good rainfall of 579 mm, which is still lower than the normal of 707 mm but better than last year’s 447 mm. However, city folks also need to be careful with ground water as at two places, — Marredpally and SR Nagar — groundwater was recorded at nearly 20 mbgl.