VIJAYAWADA: Despite intense heat and heavy irrigation, groundwater levels have remained stable in Krishna and NTR districts. Generally, groundwater levels decline during summer, but this year, a slight increase is observed. In Krishna district, water levels rose in 14 out of 25 mandals, while in NTR district, all mandals except Mylavaram and A Konduru reported an increase.
According to the Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Information & Management System (APWRIMS), current groundwater levels in Krishna district are at 33.27 feet (10.16 meters) and 22 feet (6.71 meters) in NTR district.
In April 2024, groundwater was found at depths of 8.42 meters in NTR and 10.26 meters in Krishna.
Kruthivennu in Krishna district now has groundwater accessible at just 3.9 feet, while Machilipatnam reports 4.78 feet. Bapulapadu mandal shows the deepest level at 75.17 feet (22.92 meters), followed by Penamaluru (19.23 meters), Nandivada (17.15 meters), and Gudlavalleru (16.92 meters).
In NTR district, Penuganchiprolu mandal has groundwater at 11.38 feet (3.47 meters), while Chandarlapadu reports 12.75 feet. Vijayawada rural mandal has the deepest groundwater level in NTR at 60.41 feet (18.42 meters), followed by A Konduru at 42.37 feet (12.92 meters). Officials attribute the stability of groundwater levels to consistent rainfall throughout the year and government initiatives under MGNREGA aimed at water conservation. From June 2024 to April 2025, NTR district recorded 1,375.36 mm of rainfall, exceeding its normal 974.37 mm by 41.18 mm. Krishna district also received excess rainfall, recording 1,160.57 mm against the normal 986.85 mm, an increase of 17.06 mm. All 17 mandals in NTR district reported normal to excess rainfall. In Krishna district, except for Avanigadda mandal, all other mandals recorded normal, excess, and plentiful rainfall over the past year.
Despite extensive water usage for irrigation, groundwater levels have not only remained stable but also increased in several areas.
This trend underscores the impact of effective water management practices and timely rainfall distribution, mitigating potential water scarcity concerns across both districts.