Kaleshwaram project brings down groundwater fluoride levels in north Telangana

With groundwater levels up, solids in water get diluted

Karimnagar: Rising groundwater levels in North Telangana has led to a corresponding drop in fluoride levels in the groundwater as well over the last few years.

Officials are attributing the improvement in the groundwater table to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, pointing out that there was a record growth in groundwater as all major and minor irrigation projects, tanks, ponds and other water bodies were brimming with water throughout the year after completion of the Kaleshwaram project.

Compared to the groundwater levels in November 2017, there was a rise of 3.6 to 3.8 metres in November 2022, they said.

Speaking to Telangana Today, District Groundwater Officer Ch Shaila Sree Mallika Devi said the groundwater table had improved drastically after completion of the Kaleshwaram project. As a result, the solids in the water had diluted, she said.

As a result, the fluoride values had come down, with this being was established in the water quality examination done in the Level-II lab at Karimnagar, she said, adding that about 5,000 water samples of observation wells from 14 districts of north Telangana were tested in the lab every year. Testing would be done by following 13 different parameters.

In May 2017, 14.61 percent samples collected from different wells of 14 districts were beyond permissible limits. The highest of 3.52 mg/l was recorded in Polampalli of Thimmapur mandal as against the permissible 1.5 mg/l. In the non-command area of the Kaleshwaram project, 42.86 percent samples were beyond permissible limits. A fluoride level of 3.41 mg/l was recorded in Porandla of Thimmapur mandal.

In May 2021, though the percentage of samples having fluoride beyond permissible limits increased (16.61), the percentage of fluoride had come down. A level of 2.60 mg/l was recorded in Sirsapalli of Huzrabad mandal. In non-command areas, the number of samples with high fluoride levels had come down to 23.81 from 42.86 percent in 2017.

Post-monsoon statistics showed that 12.36 percent samples were beyond limits in the Kaleshwaram command area in 2017. In the non-command area, 33.33 percent samples were beyond limits.

In May 2021 in the command area, only 6.67 percent samples were beyond limits while in the non-command area, 14.29 percent samples had beyond fluoride permissible limits.

Besides fluoride, carbonate alkalinity, bicarbonate alkalinity, chloride, sulfate, sodium, potassium, nitrate, calcium, magnesium and others were found in normal levels, the officials added.