Groundwater position: entire State in the red

Over exploitation goes unchecked

All 13 districts of the State are in the red with regard to the availability of groundwater registering “overdraft” in groundwater department parlance.

Real-time monitoring

The State government has the best system in the nation with over 1,200 peizometres for the real-time monitoring of groundwater fluctuation. It has also stipulated that the table should not be higher than 3 metres below ground level (mbgl) to avoid logging and lower than 8 mbgl to prevent over exploitation and also conservation of power. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had gone on record ₹400 crore had been saved in power bills with better water management.

Conservation

It is also giving due importance to conservation by taking up the construction of several structures like farm ponds (5,35,705), check dams (36,942), percolation tanks (9,179) and others (10,745). A total of 5,92,571conservation structures for the quick recharging of groundwater have also been completed.

However, when it comes to over exploitation little seems to happening. According to data with the Department of Water Resources, Anantapur ranks first in overdraft with farmers and others using an excess of 155.98 tmcft.

Groundwater Joint Director A Varaprasada Rao said overdraft was calculated using “annual replenishable groundwater” as the base using the available rainfall, water available in canals and tanks. The area irrigated was also used in calculating it, Mr Varaprasada Rao said.

Since all the districts are in the red, the groundwater being pumped out is more than what is being replenished. While the entire State recorded an overdraft or 731.73 tmcft, Anantapur is in the first place followed by Prakasam which already recorded an overdraft of 128.88 tmcft.

In the third place is another coastal district West Godavari with an overdraft of 92.75 tmcft followed by landlocked Rayalaseema district Kadapa (80.12 tmcft).

Srikakulam registered the minimum overdraft of 6.42 tmcft followed by Vizianagaram with 9.81 tmcft.

The overdrafts of the other districts are Visakhapatnam 20.60 tmcft, Guntur 34.64 tmcft, Krishna 37.51 tmcft, East Godavari 39.13 tmcft and Nellore, the district with the longest coastline, has registered an overdraft of 42.17 tmcft. Kurnool and Chittoor of Rayalaseema registered of 56.10 tmcft and 62.26 tmcft respectively.

Damage control steps were being taken in areas where there was an overdraft of groundwater. As per the guidelines of the department, permission should not be granted to new borewells in areas where overdraft was registered. Preference was also given for water conservation structures, Mr Varaprasada Rao said.