The average groundwater level in Tamil Nadu has declined considerably in the past five years, with only 4 of 30 districts showing any major increase.
Coimbatore district has the lowest level at 13.12 m. In Chennai, the average level in June 2010 was 4.68 m. This has now fallen to 5.63 m, latest data from the Water Resources Department shows.
As per the data based on the observation wells of the department, the level in Dharmapuri showed a significant rise of nearly 3 m since 2010.
As of June 2015, the average level in the district was 8.89 m compared to 11.41 m in June 2010.
Although the levels rose in 24 districts in June, compared to the same period in 2014, overall levels since 2010 across 30 districts in the State had seen a considerable decline. While 30 districts were mapped in 2010, the department added two more districts from September 2012.
Other districts where groundwater levels are below the 10 m mark are Trichy, Salem and Namakkal. However, districts like Tirupur, Theni, Dindigul, Thiruvannamalai and Vellore are also inching towards the 10-m level, the data shows.
Rainwater harvesting“Rainwater harvesting is the simplest method. Initially it took off well and water levels rose,” K Sivasubramaniyan, assistant professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) said.
However, he says, lack of proper maintenance of lakes and tanks, encroachments are causing water levels to deplete.
