Groundwater levels fall below 100 feet in Hyderabad, Quthbullapur worst hit
HYDERABAD: Groundwater levels in Hyderabad have dropped sharply this summer. Quthbullapur recorded the city’s lowest water table in recent years at 104 feet, according to data released by the Telangana groundwater department.
This is the first time in recent years that groundwater levels in Hyderabad have fallen below the 100-foot mark. During the same period last year, the groundwater level in Quthbullapur was around 91 feet, as reported by TOI.
Summer demand worsens groundwater depletion
Rising temperatures and growing water demand have worsened groundwater depletion across many parts of the city. Areas such as Malkajgiri, SR Nagar, Marredpally, Chengicherla and Jeedimetla reported groundwater levels at depths of 60 to 70 feet.
In densely populated Kukatpally, groundwater levels have dropped to nearly 90 feet. Several borewells have dried up, forcing residents to depend more on municipal supply and private tankers. People across Hyderabad are now booking nearly 11,000 water tankers every day for domestic use.
Experts said excessive groundwater extraction and rapid urban growth are the main reasons for the decline.
“Large-scale construction activity in and around Quthbullapur, extending towards Kukatpally and nearby areas, has increased groundwater pumping and affected water availability,” said B Venkateswara Rao, retired professor at the Centre for Water Resources, JNTU Hyderabad.
Unchecked urban growth affects recharge
Groundwater department data showed that water levels between 15 and 20 metres below ground level cover nearly 26% of the city. These areas are mainly located in the northern, north-western and eastern parts of Hyderabad.
Areas with groundwater levels deeper than 20 metres below ground level account for nearly 10% of the city. These include parts of Bachupally, Dundigal, Saroornagar, Rajendranagar and Serilingampally in Rangareddy district.
Officials said unchecked urban growth has badly affected groundwater recharge. The rapid rise in built-up areas has reduced open spaces and limited rainwater percolation.
They added that many apartment complexes do not have working recharge pits. In many places, stormwater flows into drains instead of being stored to recharge groundwater.
Some mandals record improvement
Despite the overall decline, 26 mandals recorded improvement in groundwater levels. Some areas saw increases of up to 8.72 metres above the decadal average for April.
Officials said 12 mandals recorded a rise of more than two metres compared to the average groundwater levels for April over the last decade.
