The Hindu : New Delhi News : Water woes may only get worse

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 27, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Water woes may only get worse

By Anjali Dhal Samanta

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 26. The Capital's water woes will only grow worse if the declining trend of the city's ground water resource is anything to go by. The noticeable drop in Delhi's water table from May to August this year may be blamed on the poor monsoon, but there is a greater cause for worry. Even in years when Delhi has received a substantial amount of rain, the water table has recorded a declining trend.

Over a period of three years -- in the pre-monsoon period of May 2004 compared to May 2002 -- nearly 41 per cent areas or wells have recorded a decline in water level. Alarmingly, this decline is noticed despite the fact that in 2001, Delhi received surplus rainfall of 632 mm. Though 2002 did not see much rainfall with the Capital recording a deficient rainfall of 572.47 mm, the losses were almost made good in 2003 when Delhi received a surplus rainfall of 884.7 mm.

However, the surplus rainfall failed to check the declining trend in the ground water levels as the water table fell by 29 per cent in the pre-monsoon period of May 2004 compared to May 2003. Disturbingly, the water level also fell below 50 metres in 2003 -- a trend that continues into May 2004 -- something that was not recorded in either May 2001 or May 2002.

Unfortunately, it is the crisis areas of South and South West Delhi that appear to face the worst of this trend. The variation of water table in May 2002, May 2003 and May 2004 shows that the water levels are declining in South and South West Delhi in a larger area. Though this trend is also prevalent in West, North-West, North and in New Delhi area, it is in relatively smaller areas.

However, there is some good news as well as a rise in water level has been noticed in some areas of South Delhi in comparison with the previous two years.

Interestingly, it is the deeper wells where recharge is a problem. About 28.6 per cent of Delhi's shallow wells were in the 5 metres to 10 metres range in May 2002. Though this figure slipped to 27.6 per cent in May 2003, it came back to 28.6 in May 2004. However, in the deeper wells, it has been noticed that while there were no wells in the under 50 metres, in May 2003, 7.1 per cent of Delhi's wells came into the category of 40 metres to 60 metres. This figure has remained constant in May 2004.

"There is a declining trend that has been noticed over the years. But a cause for worry is that even in years when there has been good rainfall, there is a decline. While rainfall in Delhi is highly variable and this effects the natural recharge to ground water from year to year, the main reason is the heavy withdrawal from the wells. Also, there is a decrease in the recharge of ground water due to urbanisation,'' said an official of the Central Ground Water Board.

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