Visakhapatnam: Guntur district has been an unexpected gainer this monsoon. The district, which was originally reeling from a severe rainfall deficiency in August, registered about 26 per cent excessive rain as of Wednesday. Thereby, the groundwater level in the district was replenished to 4.7 metres from 9.02 metres in August 2016, logging a record rise of 4.3 metres. At the same time last year, Guntur's water level was 8.04 metres below ground level.
But aquifers in Anantapur, Chittoor and Nellore districts are yet to be fully recharged as the districts were in deficient rainfall category. About 40 of the 100 deepest wells in the state are located in these three districts combined. The groundwater table in about 84 per cent of the total 150 wells in Anantapur district has been hovering below 8 meters; it was 67 per cent in Prakasam district.
The deepest well in the state water in the Gurramkonda well of Chittoor district was available at only 85.51 meters, reflecting the situation in the district. But following the torrential rains in north coastal Andhra Pradesh over the last one week, the water level ranged between 0 and 3 metres in about 64 per cent of the wells in Srikakulam district and 56.50 per cent wells in Visakhapa-tnam district.
