Underground water table depleting in 44 districts

KANPUR: Underground water condition is not satisfactory in the state. It is overexploited or in critical and semi-critical condition in 44 districts.
Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad and Kannauj districts are included among these 44 districts, according to a report submitted to the government by the irrigation department and Underground Water Board. The report urged the government to consider it and take appropriate action to check the depleting underground water table.
Chief secretary Alok Ranjan stopped the implementation of all the government schemes for potable water or irrigation from 111 overexploited blocks of the state. Kalyanpur block of Kanpur has come under overexploited category. Implementation of free boring, medium and deep boring, government tubewells and community tubewell schemes in the area have been stopped. People have been urged not to exploit underground water in the block.
Chaubeypur, Ghatampur, Sarsaul and Shivrajpur are under semi-critical zones and officials had been asked to keep a check there too.
Chinhat in Lucknow has been declared as dark zone as it is overexploited and city’s five blocks, including Malihabad, Deeha, Bhadohi are in semi-critical zone.
According to joint study conducted by Underground Water Board and minor irrigation department in the city, water table was depleting 20 cms per year in Kanpur. Hari Prasad, an official of minor irrigation department told TOI that previous year data indicate that on an average, underground water was depleting by 20 to 30 cms per year.
On an average, water table should be around 20 ft. But at Kalyanpur, it was measured 40 to 45 ft below the ground.
A study revealed that the underground water is receding by 20 to 50 cms on an average every year. According to available data, around two metres of water table had receded in the city in last six years.
In comparison to present level of 27.77 metres, Kidwai Nagar had water level of 23.90 metres in 2007. Fazalganj has 28.05 metres at present in comparison to 2007’s level 25.60 metres.
As per record, there are 11,890 government handpump, 20,000 private handpumps, 165 government tubewells, 850 submersible pumps, more than 2 lakhs private submersible pumps are exploiting around 35 crore litre of underground water per day. The city requires 52 crore litres of water per day.
In order to check the depleting groundwater table, Kanpur Development Authority had made mandatory rainwater harvesting in each new construction mandatory. But it could not be implemented properly. Even rainwater harvesting system of KDA is out of order.
According to Ground Water Board officials, more ponds should be dug so that rainwater could be stored there. Ponds are useful rechargers of groundwater.
The district administration stated that digging of ponds in the village under MNREGA was going on and legal proceedings have been initiated against those who had illegally occupied ponds for commercial or residential purposes.