Gurgaon: City water table fell by 4 metre in five months

Despite a ban on groundwater extraction in the city by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the water table continues to fall at alarming rates. Dhananjay Jha reports.

Despite a ban on groundwater extraction in the city by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the water table continues to fall at alarming rates.

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According to a recent study by department of hydrology, the Gurgaon water table was depleted by approximately four metres in five months between June and October 2012.

Samples were collected from four sites — Sohna, Farrukhnagar, Pataudi and Gurgaon — for the survey.

The department of hydrology is presently collecting fresh samples from all the sites to check the latest water levels.

Extraction of groundwater was banned in Gurgaon in the year 2000, when CGWA notified the district as a ‘black zone’.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court last August had asked the Haryana government to ban groundwater extraction for construction work in the district. The recent findings indicate, however, that the ban is being flouted with impunity.

In June, the water table in Gurgaon was measured at 27.42 metre but in October it fell by roughly four metres to 31.29 metre.

In Farrukhnagar, the water table was depleted by nearly two metres. While it was recorded at 14.80 metre in June, it was 16.96 metre five months later. Pataudi and Sohna recorded nearly no water table depletion.

“The administration should focus on recharging the water table by creating rainwater harvesting pits, reviving dried water bodies and taking strict action against those using groundwater for construction,” said Professor Gauhar Mehmud, civil engineering department, Jamia Millia Islamia. He is presently working as a consultant with the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon on harvesting pits.

Gurgaon deputy commissioner PC Meena was not available for comment.