Groundwater extraction rate reduced from 65.45% to 41.6%
UPDATE – 10:47 PM, Sunday – December 18 22
Hyderabad: Telangana’s flagship water lifting irrigation schemes, Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya, have raised Telangana’s water table over the past five years. The annual groundwater withdrawal is reduced from 8.09BCM (billion cubic meters) in 2017 to 8BCM in 2022, and the groundwater withdrawal phase is reduced from 65.45% to 41.6% over the same period.
The availability of groundwater resources in an area depends on many factors, including rainfall periods, geological formations, amount of existing recharge structures, water abstracted by consumers for various purposes (such as industrial applications, drinking/domestic uses, irrigation, etc.), therefore, The rate at which groundwater resources are increased or depleted varies from region to region.
A comparison of groundwater withdrawals in 2017 and 2022, as assessed by the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) and the states, showed a reduction in withdrawals (national average) from 248.69 BCM to 239.16 BCM , officials said.
However, in Telangana, the availability of surface water for irrigation and drinking water purposes has increased significantly due to the successful implementation of the water pumping irrigation scheme and Mission Bhagiratha. As a result, groundwater use has decreased significantly over the years. In addition, the implementation of the Kakatiya mission to rejuvenate traditional water tanks has also played a vital role in improving the state’s groundwater table, officials said.
In November this year, Telangana’s average groundwater level was 4.5 mbgl (meters below ground), compared to 4.97 mbgl in November last year. Of the 33 districts, 22 districts had mean water levels below 5 mbgl and the remaining 11 districts had mean water levels between 5-10 mbgl.
The Union government through Mission Kakatiya recently commended Telangana for its outstanding work in the area of water conservation/harvesting.
