The Hindu : Groundwater tapping banned in 88 Anantapur villages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Groundwater tapping banned in 88 Anantapur villages

By B. Chandrashekhar

ANANTAPUR, JAN. 13. The alarming depletion of groundwater table in the district has forced the officials to ban exploitation of groundwater in 88 villages of 19 mandals. Over exploitation of groundwater in these villages, according to the groundwater department officials, has been more than 100 to 533 per cent.

The average groundwater level in December 2003 was recorded at 15.22 metres below the surface. It was even worse in November (15.63), October (16.62), September (17.77), August (17.16), July (17.35), June (16.46), May (15.84) and April (15.28). Water availability below the surface in September was the deepest during the last 50 years.

Speaking to , the Deputy Director of Groundwater Department, K. Nagabhushanam, stated today that it was the impact of poor rainfall. As per the rainfall statistics, the district had recorded deficit rainfall during 28 out of the last 50 years. Increasing exploitation of groundwater and insufficient recharge due to deficit rainfall over the years was the reason for the present alarming scenario, he explained.

He stated that the tapping of groundwater had been banned in 12 villages each in D. Hirehal, Peddapappur and Rayadurg mandals, eight in Gummaghatta, seven in Chennekothapalli, five each in Agali and Kanekal, four in Lepakshi and Yadiki, three in Penukonda, Putlur and Rolla, two each in Dharmavaram, Peddavadugur and Singanamala and one each in Bommanahal, Mudigubba, Narpala and Yallanur mandals.

The list of villages had been sent to AP Transco and the MROs concerned so that power connection was not issued, even if somebody sunk a borewell. As per the AP Water, Land and Tree Act, 2002, sinking new irrigation borewells was illegal within the 260-metre radius of an existing irrigation borewell, 250 metres off a drinking water hand pump and 500 metres off a water supply scheme borewell.

Mr. Nagabhushanam said though registration of irrigation borewells and borewell rigs had been made compulsory it was yet to gain momentum due to lack of awareness among the people.

Further, he stated that 14 mandals had recorded groundwater table below 20 metres, 15 mandals between 15 and 20 metres, 18 mandals between 10 and 15 metres and the remaining 16 mandals below 5 metres. The depletion of groundwater was highly alarming in Gummaghatta, where water was available at an average depth of 32.19 metres, Hindupur (26.88), Parigi (24.12), Amarapuram (23.41), Kanaganapalli (21.85), Madakasira (21.72) and Brahmasamudram (21.62).

More than half a dozen villages in Gummaghatta mandal had the groundwater availability at a depth of beyond 35 metres. Of the 16,890 drinking water borewells in the district, about 1,500 had already gone dry and a majority of the remaining borewells had depleted source.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

Groundwater tapping banned in 88 Anantapur villages

EC officials caution against accepting bulk applications