Groundwater levels seen rising in State

Vijayawada: Thanks to the water conservation measures taken up by the State government, the groundwater levels have increased in the State except Guntur district during the last one year.  Information furnished by the Groundwater department revealed that there is a deviation even up to two metres in some districts. Coastal districts are in a better position compared to Rayalaseema districts in respect of groundwater. 

Average groundwater levels are below 10 metres in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, and Kurnool on August 18, 2018. Chittoor district has the deepest groundwater level in the State with water levels available at 20.07 metres on an average. Coastal districts are in a better position compared to Rayalaseema districts on average groundwater levels. Average water levels in coastal districts is 10.07 metres while the average groundwater level in Rayalaseema region is 17.21 metres. 

The average groundwater levels in 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh had come up to 12.26 metres on August 18, 2018 compared to the 13.97 metres on August 18, 2017. Joint director of Groundwater A Vara Prasada Rao pointed out that the State government implemented several important schemes including Neeru-Chettu for water conservation. He said desiltation of water tanks, construction of check dams, water harvesting pits and construction of new tanks are giving fruitful results. Water levels rose to 3.96 metres in August, 2018 in Srikakulam district compared to the 5.51 meters on August 17, 2017. In May 2017, the average groundwater level was 7.03 meters in Srikakulam and now rose to 3.96 metres.

In Krishna district, the average groundwater levels rose to 9.85 metres on August 18, 2018 compared to 10.33 metres in August 2017. There is improvement in groundwater levels on average in the district. Average ground water levels raised to 7.42 metres in Visakhapatnam district on August 18, 2018 compared to 7.68 metres in August 2017.  These efforts have given fruitful results in the backward and water scarce district Prakasam, too, where average groundwater levels rose to 19.04 metres this year compared to 21.33 metres last year.

Anantapur is the most water scarcity district in the State where groundwater rose to 19.66 metres from the 27.22 metres on August 17, 2017. The State government has encouraged using of sprinklers and drip irrigation in agriculture. It is also giving subsidy to the sprinklers and material used in irrigation. In Krishna district, the groundwater levels rose to 9.85 metres on August 18, 2018 compared to 10.33 metres on August 18, 2017. In Kadapa district, groundwater levels were at 23.45 metres and rose to 19.43 metres in one year. 

Similarly, groundwater levels also rose in Chittoor district. Groundwater levels on August 18, 2018 are at 20.07 metres against 22.27 metres last year. Guntur is the only district where groundwater levels dropped in one year. The average groundwater level on August 18, 2018 is 8.45 metres against 8.13 metres last year. Guntur is well known for commercial crops and use of groundwater is more for production of wide variety of crops like chillies, cotton, paddy and pulses etc.