Gurugram district to soon launch campaign to improve ground water level

With the aim of improving the groundwater level in the district, a comprehensive campaign for water conservation is likely to be launched in the city by the district administration

With the aim of improving the groundwater level in the district, a comprehensive campaign for water conservation is likely to be launched in the city by the district administration.

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Yash Garg, deputy commissioner of the district said that the campaign will be run by the team of GuruJal Society in collaboration with the district administration and the department of town and country planning (DTCP).

“We are aiming to identify water harvesting structures present in the district and make them functional. I have also instructed the GuruJal team to coordinate with the DTCP and ensure that the water harvesting system in housing societies and high-rise apartments are operational. It is important to make these systems functional so that rooftop spillage does not go waste and the water table is recharged,” said Garg.

The administration also aims to clean drains through which rainwater can be harvested naturally to increase the groundwater table.

On March 1, the district town planners for planning and enforcement met with members from the GuruJal team. During the meeting, it was decided that a legal framework for the implementation of rainwater harvesting structures in Gurugram will be prepared and a rainwater harvesting enforcement drive will be conducted in the city with an aim to check the functionality and status of the such structures.

Between 2014 and 2018, the groundwater table in Gurugram district reduced by two-and-a-half metres. In 2014, the district recorded an average groundwater level of 26.3 metres (below the ground). By 2018, this level had dipped to 28.9 metres across four monitoring blocks of Gurugram, Sohna, Pataudi and Farrukhnagar. The latest data obtained from the agricultural department’s groundwater cell revealed that between June 2019 and June 2020, the groundwater table in Gurugram district dropped by 0.27 metres and stood at 29.86 metres.

Despite attempts, RS Bhath, district town planner, enforcement, could not be reached for a comment.