Alarming drop of groundwater level in Krishna district

Vijayawada: Groundwater level dropped in Krishna district compared to last year even before the onset of summer ringing alarm bells. It is feared that water level would deplete further even before this summer.  

The groundwater department is collecting details of water levels daily at different places in Krishna district by installing piezometres. By Thursday, the average groundwater level in Krishna district is 11.29 metres. On February 15, 2017, the average ground water level was 10.88 metres. 

Water levels declined by 41 cm in one year. It is expected the water level would fall further in the district through summer. Deficit rainfall for three consecutive years is the prime reason for dropping of groundwater level. Groundwater department observes ‘water year’ from June to May because the rainy season begins in June every year.

Normal rainfall in Krishna district is 946.2 mm. The district registered a deficit rainfall during the past three consecutive years. From June 2014 to May 2015, Krishna district recorded 789 mm rainfall only.

Followed by 906 mm rainfall from June 2015 to May 2016 and it recorded 793.8 mm rainfall from June 2016 to May 2017. The same problem continues during this water year also. From June 2017 to January 2018, the district recorded a deficit rainfall of 19 per cent.

All these factors are contributing to the falling of average groundwater level. There is no scope for rainfall till June 2018. So, more and more groundwater will be extracted till then for usage.

Assistant director of groundwater department D Vandanam said recharging is very important to increase the groundwater level. But with deficit rainfall for the past three years, there is no scope for recharging groundwater in many parts of the district.

He said water was also not released from the Prakasam Barrage to the sea from June to December 2017 due to deficit rainfall and Krishna river water was being used for agriculture and drinking purpose only. If the water is released from the barrage, groundwater will be recharged in the mandals downstream.  

One side, the district is not getting sufficient rainfall. On the other hand, the existing groundwater is also being extracted for agriculture and other purposes. This may create more problems in future.

Rabi season will be completed by the end of March or the first week of April. Farmers cultivated different types of crops in two lakh hectares this season, said T Mohan Rao, joint director of agriculture.  He said some crops need wetting before the harvesting in March and April. Farmers of Krishna district are cultivating black gram, bengal gram, maize, paddy, horse gram and other crops this rabi season.

By MD Ameen