HYDERABAD: During the two waves of the Covid pandemic, Hyderabadis have extracted a lot of groundwater.
The reason being: Telangana government imposed lockdown in phases based on the spike in the cases and it was observed that Hyderabad district witnessed a huge depletion in the groundwater table.
The depletion was noticed when the Hyderabad Ground Water Department (GWD) measured the ground water table through piezometers installed in Asifnagar, Bandlaguda,Bahadurpura, Charminar, Himayat nagar, Saidabad, Musheerabad, Secunderabad, Marredpally, Ameerpet, S R Nagar, Khairatabad, Nampally, Shaikpet and Tirumalagiri areas.
GWD observed that in May 2020 and May 2021—considered as ‘peak’ months in the summer season—the ground water depleted between 0.34 meters and 5.27 meters depth below to the ground level.
“Usually, the consumption during summer is high, but with the pandemic situation, residents couldn’t leave the city due to lockdown.
As a result, they extracted more water,” a GWD official said.
For instance, in Khairatabad, the recorded ground table in May 2020 was 15.97 meters.
In May 2021, a depletion of 10.70 meters was noticed.
Not only is Khairatabad a residential area, but also a highly commercial area, which could be the reason for the highest depletion in ground water consumption, the official opined.
Surprisingly, in Marredpally—which used to have very high ground water depletion levels in the city—GWD records revealed that there was a depletion of only two meters.
According to the GWD report, in May 2020, the recorded ground water table was 20.90 meters, but in May 2021, the table fell to 18.35 meters.
“Groundwater percolated due to copious rainfall.
Additionally, the October floods could have also added to the water table,” the ground water department’s analyst said.
The GWD predicts that the city may witness a rise in the ground water table this rainy season, based on the IMD’s forecast.