MYSORE: Copious rain that occurred in the region during the last monsoon and the subsequent intermittent showers have helped recharge groundwater in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts, improving the drinking water situation to a considerable extent in most villages this summer.

The construction of infiltration wells by the Department of Mines and Geology in a few villages suffering from an acute drinking water scarcity, has also yielded good results and for once, people in the perennially-parched villages have reason to smile. The recharge has been such that the average depth at which water can be struck in a few villages was as low as 2.2 metres as at Bisalavadi, and the deepest level was at Bedarapura near Harave where groundwater level is at around 33 metres.

Geologists in the Department of Mines and Geology here told The Hindu that heavy rain last monsoon increased the percolation.

"We have 75 observation wells in Mysore district and 42 in Chamarajanagar and normally the water level would have dipped during peak summer. But contrary to this, there has been an appreciable increase due to recent rain. In Chamarajanagar district, the groundwater table declines by two to three metres during summer, but this year the water table has dipped by 10 to 12 cm only," according to senior geologist Mr. Naresh.

He pointed out that there were a few observation wells as at Harave, Hardanahalli and Yedapura where the water level has increased by three metres. Last year the wells had gone dry, according to geologists.

Sources said that there were 3,500 borewells in Mysore taluk, 2,350 in Periyapatana, 1,200 in K.R.Nagar, 3,400 in Hunsur, nearly 3,000 borewells in H.D. Kote, 3,800 in Nanjangud and about 4,500 borewells in T. Narsipura taluk.

Depletion of groundwater table during summer used to be a major cause for concern among authorities and farmers as they are the only source of drinking water in remote regions to which piped connection from either Cauvery or Kabini was not available. Increase in the groundwater table would help people tide over the summer without much difficulty, according to geologist Mr. Siddalingaswamy and engineer Mr. Nagaraj. A project by Department of Mines and Geology, Mysore, in Devanur and Dasanur villages of Nanjangud taluk has yielded excellent results.

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