Noida’s groundwater level continues to fall, states report
In the study, groundwater status at 36 different locations in Noida was recorded. The department also studied groundwater level in Greater Noida at 35 locations. The study included rural areas of the district as well, including Dadri, Dankaur, Bilaspur and Jewar.
Groundwater is depleting at a rate of one metre per annum in Gautam Budh Nagar district, a report prepared by the Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Department stated.
Experts had studied the rate of groundwater depletion from 2013 to 2017 in rural and urban areas of the district, which includes Noida, Greater Noida and areas under the Yamuna Expressway.
The previous report in this regard, published in 2012, also showed groundwater depletion of one metre annually. However, the administration had decided to take multiple steps, such as rejuvenating dying ponds, containing misuse of groundwater through illegal tubewells, conserving rainwater and banning the illegal extraction of groundwater for construction, among others, to recharge the groundwater level.
“Groundwater continued to deplete at a rate of one metre, annually, between 2013 and 2017, as per our report because adequate steps were not taken to recharge the groundwater. We can avert the depletion by conserving rainy water and discouraging the misuse of the groundwater,” Shashi Kumar, a data analyst with Uttar Pradesh groundwater department, Gautam Budh Nagar district, said.
In the study, groundwater status at 36 different locations in Noida was recorded. The department also studied groundwater level in Greater Noida at 35 locations. The study included rural areas of the district as well, including Dadri, Dankaur, Bilaspur and Jewar.
“We studied the groundwater level every year in April and May before the rainy season in each area from 2013 to 2017. We also took readings of groundwater level in October after the rainy season, each year. Subsequently, we have compiled the report,” Kumar said.
On an average, groundwater is currently available at a depth of 24.13 metres in Noida, 11.11 metres in Greater Noida, 7.46 metres in Dankaur and 5.6 metres in Jewar.
“Gautam Budh Nagar district will soon become Gurugram if the administration or the government will not take effective steps to recharge the depleting groundwater level. In 2012, the administration and other authorities had planned to ensure that the groundwater did not further deplete but it continues to do so. We will approach the National Green Tribunal in this regard so that the issue of groundwater depletion can be looked into seriously,” Vikrant Tongad, an environmentalist, said.
