Date:04/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/04/stories/2006040410930200.htm

New Delhi

Alarming decline in the Capital's water table, warn experts

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

New Delhi district identified as the worst hit area

NEW DELHI: It is well known that the Capital's water table is on the decline, but what is alarming is that the rate at which it is declining has gone up sharply over the past five years.

With areas in Delhi now registering an annual fall in the groundwater table by as much as 0.5 metre to 1.5 metre annually, the situation is grim, say experts.

According to the ground water table map released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the New Delhi district has been the worst hit area, registering the sharpest fall in ground water level in the Capital. It has also been red-tagged as the worst "abuser" of ground water. What makes the situation disturbing is the fact that the district hasn't also been able to replenish ground water at the rate that it has been using it.

In the last five years the population pressure on ground water has increased and the water level hasn't climbed to safety. Also, the monsoon rains have not been able to bring up the table.

The Capital needs over 900 million gallons of water each day of which the Delhi Jal Board supplies only 650 to 670 million gallons treated water. The difference in supply is drawn from the ground water. Other areas in the Capital experiencing a fall in ground water levels include South Delhi and South-West Delhi.

"Delhi's problem is accentuated by the fact that there is rampant unregulated use of ground water. Data collected over a decade indicate that the decline in water levels is rapid in areas where water levels are deeper than 20 metres. The lowest water levels are observed in the southern parts covering parts of South district and south-eastern part of South-West district. It is evident that the North and North Western parts that are areas along the Yamuna have a relatively good water table level.

The Capital gets a normal annual rainfall of 611.8 mm. However, with the increased dependence on ground water the pressure over the years has increased to a point where we are now worried about the fact that Delhi just might exhaust its supply of sweet water,'' says a CGWB official.

"Worrying also is the fact that water gets more polluted as it goes deeper which in turn adversely effects the health of people. While restrictions are in place to regulate the use of ground water extraction, laws and regulations are not necessarily followed. That has resulted in a sharper fall in ground water levels within the last five years,'' explains V. K. Jain of TAPAS, a non-government organisation working in the area of water conservation.

While authorities claim that there is an urgent need to make water conservation a norm, the areas that haven't seen a huge fall in the ground water supply include North and East Delhi.