HYDERABAD: The monsoon season has seen an increase in groundwater levels in the state in July following excess rainfall of 62 per cent in June and July.
According to the latest report of the groundwater department, the average depth to water in July was 6.17 metres below ground level (bgl) as against 8.67 m. bgl in June and 8.37 m. bgl in May.
The minimum ground water level was 2.84 m. bgl in Jagtial, and the maximum 11.67 m. bgl in Medak.
In 14 of 33 districts, the average water level was less than 5 m-bgl, whereas 17 districts had water levels in the range of 5-10 m-bgl while two districts had more than 10 m-bgl.
However as compared to the groundwater level in July 2022, the water levels recorded a fall by 1.03 m-bgl in July 2023 and only Bhupalapally, Jogulamba Gadwal, Mulugu and Sangareddy showed an increase in the water levels with respect to July 2022. An average maximum groundwater level increase from July 2022-July 2023 was recorded in Bhupalpally with a rise of 1.25 m.
The report further said that around 41% of the state occupied shallow water levels of more than 5 m-bgl and only 3% of moderately deep (15-20 m bgl) and very deep-water levels (20 m bgl) occupied around 3% of the state area covering Medak, Sangareddy, Siddipet, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Vikarabad, Bhadradri and Bhupalpally districts.
A rise of 0.5 was recorded compared to the decadal average of July 2013-2022 in 14 mandals and the deep water level of more than 20 m area decreased from 4227 square km to 653 square km.
Groundwater department officials told Deccan Chronicle that groundwater levels will increase in August due to heavy rains in July as the groundwater level recharge take around two-three weeks. The report said that the current groundwater level situation is satisfactory, across the state.
