Nellore: Average groundwater levels in SPSR Nellore district have been gradually dropping following excessive tapping of the resource for various utilities including drinking, agriculture and aquaculture apart from industrial use. The situation is such that the water levels have dropped to 8.49 metres from 5.74 metres five years back in the district. Though the levels improved considerably in November and December 2015 because of heavy rains, they came down to 10.88 metres by July 2017.
According to groundwater officials, over exploitation of water was recorded in 14 villages and the situation is critical in 48 villages and semi critical in 109 habitations of the district as per the latest findings. Worst hit is Manubolu mandal with water availability at 22.5 metres followed by 19.4 metres at Seetharamapuram and Varikuntapadu mandals. Incidentally, Seetharamapuram is notorious for acute shortage for water whether it is for drinking or for irrigation for decades.
Even when the district recorded good rainfall in November 2015, the water level was at 19.6 metres at Seetharamapuram that year. As per the average water levels recorded by groundwater wing in December, water availability is good in TP Gudur, Atmakur, Tada, Chittamurm Venkatachalam, Muthukurum Sullurpeta, Pellakur, Buchireddypalem, Sangam and Doravarisathram.
The average water level is between 3 and 8 meters in case of 18 mandals. They include Alluru, Kota, Dakkili, Kavali, Kovuru, Venkatagiri, Rapur, AS peta, Sydapuram, Ananta sagaram, Dakkili, Kaluvoy, Vakadu and Kondapuram among others. In as many as twelve mandals including Seetharamapuram, the average ground water level is between eight meters to fifteen meters. Only Manubolu mandal is above twenty meters level.
