The groundwater situation in the city and surrounding areas might become alarming if copious rains do not drench down the city in the coming one month. Water levels are already plummeting in many areas, especially in the core city, if the records are anything to go by.
When compared with the data in the corresponding period last year, the subterranean water levels recorded in July this year could be cause for concern.
The average depth to water level has shown an increase of 2.2 meters below ground level (mbgl) when compared with the figures in July, 2013.
Groundwater is always measured in meters below ground level (mbgl), the higher value of which denotes that much depletion in the resource.
The average depth to water level was 9.59 mbgl in July this year, against the 7.39 mbgl last year, calculated from 11 locations in the city. This is in contrast to the situation in April this year, when an improvement of 1.45 mbgl was recorded in comparison with the previous year.
All the locations where ground water levels are measured by piezometers showed dip in the water levels in current year.
Kulsumpura recorded an alarming dip of 5.29 meters, from 4 mbgl in July, 2013, to 9.29 mbgl in the current year. Saidabad is the next with a dip of 4.15 meters, from 2.85 mbgl to 7 mbgl, followed by Marredpally with a dip of 3.2 meters, from 22.05 mbgl last year to 25.25 mbgl now.
Ranga Reddy district, however, recorded a 1.34 meters’ increase in the average levels, at 13.32 mbgl as recorded in July this year. Nevertheless, all the urban mandals of the district invariably recorded plummeting levels, indicating stress on the precious resource.
The piezometer at Bantwaram, a rural mandal of the district, recorded the maximum dip in groundwater levels at 22.48 meters.
“The present water table is the result of last year’s rainfall, which was 20 per cent in excess. If we don’t get normal rainfall this year, situation is bound to be bad,” the Deputy Director, Groundwater (Hydereabad and Ranga Reddy districts), Ramesh Kumar said.
