Groundwater tables fall drastically in Chennai

According to the data shared by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, all the areas have recorded a fall in the groundwater table —- ranging from 2.84 to 0.34 meters in June.

The water level in Ambattur declined to a depth of 10.17 meters in June this year compared to 8.35 meters in June last year. At Alandur, water was available at 7.33 metres in June 2018, now it has sunk to 9.28 meters. The groundwater table at Tiruvika Nagar has gone down to 8.64 meters from 5.80 meters in June last year. However, the water level at Tiruvottiyur and Manali is better when compared to other areas with water available at a depth of 5.38 meters and 5.90 meters respectively though it has sunk when compared to the previous year.

Among the localities, Tiruvika Nagar, Tondiarpet and Shollinganallur have witnessed a sharp fall in the groundwater table with 2.84 meters, 2.39 meters and 2.24 meters respectively.

“Poor monsoon has resulted in the depletion of the groundwater table in the city and suburban areas. Until the northeast monsoon sets in, the water level will continue to go down,” the official said.

Shekar Raghavan of Rain Centre said that Metro water monitors the open well to ascertain groundwater level while people are using bore wells. “Groundwater is available in two-layer. Borewells tap the deep layer and open wells and shallow tube wells tap the shallow layer. So Metro water is talking about shallow layer,” he said.

On the government’s move to inspect the rainwater harvesting structures in the buildings, he said that the move was an eyewash to divert the people’s anger over the non-supply of drinking water. “Those inspecting the rainwater harvesting structures are not qualified. They claim to have completed inspection of 50,000 structures. If I go to a big site to study the RWH structures, it will take an hour or more to analyse it. I don’t know how they are doing it,” he said.