In spite of the State receiving a 35 per cent deficit rainfall last year, groundwater levels in the city have not dipped to a critical state. That is because the rain deficit in Hyderabad was only 20 per cent, which Groundwater Department officials say will be enough for the city to sail through the coming summer.
According to the January report of the Groundwater Department, digging 9.79 metres under the surface will fetch water, which is similar to last year’s January readings of 9.91 metres. In May 2015, the water level had dipped to 11.82 metres, which officials said is the norm. “This year too it will be the same. But if this year also the monsoon fails, then there will be a cause for worry,” said a senior official.
The report also shows that Humayunagar, Chandrayangutta, Secretariat, and Bahadurpura are the areas where the groundwater level is lower in January this year when compared to 2015. Across the city, Marreddpally is the only area where the groundwater has dipped to a critical 21.65 metres, and is the only place where it is deeper than 20 metres.
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In Hyderabad, the areas where the depth-to-ground water is below 10 to 20 metres are S. R. Nagar, Darulshifa, Chandrayangutta, Kulsumpura, Ameerpet, Charminar, Bandlaguda and Asifnagar. Other areas where the readings are below 10 metres are Gachibowli, Bahadurpura, Serilingampalli, Nampally, Khairatabad, and Asif Nagar.
“The fluctuation we are seeing this year is normal as we had a 20 per cent deficit rainfall in the city. Only 9 to 11 per cent of the rain water recharges the groundwater, the rest 40 per cent of it is run-off, while another 40 per cent is used up by the eco system. The remaining water gets evaporated,” explained the official.
In 2015, the city received 579.26 millimetre (mm) of rainfall against 720.70 in the preceding year.
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