Depleting groundwater levels trigger worries in Nirmal, Mancherial

The average groundwater level of the district plummeted to 10.19 metres in March this year as against 8.94 metres in March 2023 reflecting a decline by 1.25 metres.

Nirmal: Groundwater levels in the district continue to deplete to an alarming low. The dip in level is worrying farmers growing various crops in the ongoing Yasangi season and the public who depend on wells and hand pumps for drinking water.

The average groundwater level of the district plummeted to 10.19 metres in March this year as against 8.94 metres in March 2023 reflecting a decline by 1.25 metres. Mancherial district’s average groundwater level dropped down by 0.96 metres, while Asifabad and Adilabad districts saw a decrease in groundwater level by 0.56 metres and 0.19 metres last month respectively compared to the corresponding period last year.

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The water level is expected to dip by at least 2 metres in the coming two months. Yield of domestic and agriculture bore-wells was already reduced by 20 percent.
“Standing paddy crop is likely to wither soon due to lack of supply of water from the KNR project and depleting groundwater levels. Officials should survey crop damage and the government must extend support to farmers,” Gangaram, a farmer from Bellal village in Kaddam mandal said.

The depletion in groundwater is attributed to lack of supervision on exploitation of water and poor recharge of groundwater. “Officials should monitor exploitation of water by the public and also take steps to recharge the groundwater using various methods such as proper management of irrigation projects and reducing wastage of water,” V Rajkamal Reddy, a groundwater expert from Peddapalli remarked.
Nirmal and Mancherial district ground water department Deputy Director P Srinivas Babu said excess rainfall registered in the month of October and November ran off to the rivers instead of percolating in the ground due to lack of check dams and farm ponds. He advised the public to dig rainwater harvesting pits and soak pits and optimum utilisation of water to overcome depletion of the ground water level.

Nirmal

• Ground water level in March-2024: 10.19 metres
• Ground water level in March-2023: 8. 94 metres

• Deviation: -1.25 metres

Mancherial

• Ground water level in March-2024: 7.04 metres
• Ground water level in March-2023: 6.08 metres

• Deviation: -0.96 metres

Asifabad

• Ground water level in March-2024: 8.38 metres
• Ground water level in March-2023: 7.82 metres

• Deviation: -0.56 metres

Adilabad

• Ground water level in March-2024: 9.11 metres
• Ground water level in March-2023: 8. 92 metres

• Deviation: -0.19 metres

Water levels in irrigation projects

• Kaddam Narayana Reddy (KNR) project: 206 metres out of the storage capacity of 213.36 metres
• Currently, the project has 2.778 tmc of water as against storage capacity of 7.603 tmc

• Swarna project in Sarangapur: 358 metres as against 360 metres