Chandigarh groundwater level down by 28.5 per cent in decade

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, July 29

In an alarming trend, Chandigarh has seen a 28.5% dip in groundwater levels in the past decade.

In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha amid the ongoing monsoon session pertaining to the recovery of underground water, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu stated that the data on water levels collected by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in November last year has been compared with the decadal mean of the data on groundwater levels in November (2012-2021).

In Chandigarh, an analysis of data on 14 wells indicated that five wells have registered a 35.7% surge in groundwater levels, while nine wells have witnessed a 64.3% dip in groundwater levels.

An official of the UT Municipal Corporation explained that the two main reasons for the depleting groundwater are over-extraction and poor recharge of the groundwater.

Addressing a question on whether the government is aware of the current state of affairs vis-à-vis the recovery of underground water, the minister replied, “In comparison of the stage of groundwater extraction in Chandigarh between the assessment years of 2017 and 2022, the groundwater extraction stood at 89% in 2017, and it improved to 80.99% in 2022.”

The civic body official said that waterworks in Sector 39 started receiving an additional 29 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from the Kajauli Phase V and VI supply lines in 2019.

The minister noted that groundwater levels are on the decline in certain parts of the country thanks to the continuous withdrawal necessitated by an increased demand for fresh water for various uses, vagaries of the monsoon, the growing population, industrialisation & urbanisation, among other factors.

He noted that the identification of groundwater challenges and their sustainable management fall under the states’ mandate. However, the Central Government has taken a slew of steps in this regard, such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), under which special emphasis is being laid on rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.

Nine wells saw 64.3% decline

• Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu stated that the data on water levels collected by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in November last year has been compared with the decadal mean of the data on groundwater levels in November (2012-2021)
• In Chandigarh, an analysis of data on 14 wells indicated that five wells have registered a 35.7% surge in groundwater levels, while nine wells have witnessed a 64.3% dip in groundwater levels
• In comparison of the stage of groundwater extraction in Chandigarh between the assessment years of 2017 and 2022, the groundwater extraction stood at 89% in 2017, and it improved to 80.99% in 2022, the minister said