The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Groundwater table shows a rise in suburbs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 05, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Groundwater table shows a rise in suburbs

K. Lakshmi

This is due to copious rainfall during the northeast monsoon

CHENNAI: Groundwater level in the city suburbs falling under Tiruvallur district has improved compared to those in Kancheepuram district, during this May. While the groundwater table has improved by 88 per cent at Thiruvallur district, the Kancheepuram district wells showed a rise of 71 per cent in levels.

A study was done by State Ground and Surface Water Resources Data Centre, a wing of the PWD between May 2005 and May 2006.

Fluctuations monitored

Of the 26 dug wells monitored for water table fluctuations in Thiruvallur district, only three wells had a fall in groundwater level between 0-2 m compared to May last year.

Several areas in Ambattur and Ponneri blocks, including Red Hills, Ennore, Nandiambakkam and Vellanpanchavadi saw a rise of water level between 0-2 m.

Porur, Avadi, Madhavaram and Thirumazhisai recorded an increase of about 3 m in groundwater level, whereas areas such as Thirumullaivoyal, Pakkam, Pudur and Pondeswaram saw a rise of about 4 m in water table during this May.

Ramapuram was one of the few areas where there was a fall in water table by 1 m compared to May 2005.

A PWD official said that though the increase in water table was due to heavy rain during northeast monsoon last year, water level fluctuations in May 2006 depended on groundwater extraction and geological formation such as soil characteristics.

Fall at Kancheepuram

In Kancheepuram district, 20 places showed fall in groundwater table of the 68 wells monitored.

Places such as Muttukadu, Thiruporur, Pallavaram, Pallikaranai, Tambaram and Thiruneermalai showed a fall in water table by 0-2 m.

Areas such as Injambakkam, Palavakkam, Cheyyur, Thirukazhukundram and Uthiramerur recorded an increase between 0-2 m. Some of the areas that recorded a rise between 2-5 m in May 2006 were Sriperumbudur and parts of Tambaram.

Rain pattern

A PWD official said that most areas of the Chennai recorded a rise in water level, which was mainly contributed to rain pattern. Areas such as Saidapet, Adyar, Arumbakkam and Velachery saw a rise of 2-3 m in water level.

There was a proposal to provide an integrated data on groundwater level and quality jointly by Metrowater department, PWD and Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board every three or six months for a consolidated and less varying groundwater scenario, according sources from PWD.

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