Hyderabad: A pilot project by the Groundwater Department to increase groundwater levels in Nalgonda since 2016 has been successful, boosting the department's confidence in more such projects to relieve the distressing groundwater levels in several districts.
The 20 recharge shafts that have been built in Nalgonda district have seen a sharp rise in groundwater levels and 181 more across five districts of Telangana will be built in the first stage.
The groundwater level rose by 8.25 metres; it rose very quickly to 7.19 metres within a short span of 30 days in September 2016. Without the recharge shaft the water level rises to only 2.15 metres and is sustained for a very short period. The recharge shaft allows fast flow of stream water into the ground continuously and is more effective than conventional check-dams. Extraction of groundwater has also come down from 93 per cent to 83 per cent.
A senior official in the department says community participation is the key factor in the whole process, from monitoring of the water level, recording of rainfall, preparation of groundwater management action plan consisting of a crop plan, recharge augmentation plan and execution of the work. “Our role has been advisory and supportive. The people have borne 15 per cent of the cost of the recharge structure. This shows the measure of awareness,” he said.
