Groundwater hits a low in A.P.

Excess use by farms the ‘prime cause’

Disappearing fast: The Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, seen here in a file photo, has also been hit.

The groundwater level has plunged in Andhra Pradesh, touching successive new annual lows since 2014. The major reservoirs, which are nearly empty, pose a threat to drinking water access.

As it waits for monsoonal rains, the Andhra Pradesh Government has been focussing on recharging of groundwater. It has launched the ‘10 lakh farm ponds’ plan, and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been stressing the importance of recharging groundwater in his public meetings.

After consultation with experts, the government has decided that water levels should ideally be between 3 and 8 metres below ground level (MBGL). It has ordered Piezometers installed at over 1,200 locations for “real time monitoring” of groundwater. The government has sought help from ISRO to identify the best locations to build check dams.

The drought, meanwhile, is severe. Regular wells and borewells at T.Velamavaripalli in Vempalle mandal of Kadapa district went dry long ago. Piezometers in the villages indicate that drills must go down more than a hundred meters to strike water. The situation prevailing in Chandragiri of Pulivendula mandal in the district is no different.

On the drop in levels, A.P.Rythanga Samakya president and former Irrigation Board member Yerneni Nagendranath said, “unless farmers stopped indiscriminate use of groundwater, the water table will keep falling. Farm ponds and check dams are not sufficient.”

Reservoirs empty

Andhra Pradesh has had a 30.4% rain deficit (from June 1, 2016). Nellore district tops the list with 64.5% deficit, followed by Prakasam at 43.9% and Ananthapur at 40.1%. Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs, which are the lifeline, are nearly empty.

Normal rainfall expected from June 1 last year was 960 mm, but the State got 667.9 mm.

Speaking to The Hindu , the Officer on Special Duty (Groundwater) at the Department of Water Resources, A. Varaprasada Rao said, “the rain needed to increase the height of the water table by one metre was calculated after analysing groundwater levels of the specific areas for the past 25 years.”

Despite the conservation efforts, pre-monsoon levels have plummeted. While average groundwater level in May 2014 was 10.95 MBGL, it was13.83 MBGL in May 2015, dropping further to 14.80 MGBL last year.