NIZAMABAD: Water levels in several areas of Nizamabad district have plummeted, leading to a shortage of water. To overcome it, officials and NGOs have been asked to focus on the construction of rainwater harvesting systems.
Nizamabad has around 33 mandals and the Ground Water department monitors groundwater using 82 piezometers. Each mandal has three piezometers. Nizamabad district has the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP), Nizam Sagar canals, and several minor irrigation projects and other sources of water. The district has also received excess rainfall.
Groundwater is usually not an issue in the district. However, some areas in the district are distant from water bodies and some are topographically hilly and rocky, leading to a fall in groundwater levels during summer.
According to officials, in February groundwater level have decreased by 15 metres to 30 metres in 18 places. During the same period in 2023, groundwater levels had decreased by just two to three metres.
For instance, in Balkonda Assembly constituency of Bheemgal mandal, water levels have gone down to 30.70 metres. Under the Nizamabad Rural Assembly constituency in Chimanpally area of Srikonda mandal, the water levels have touched 23.49 metres. In Gadkol, water levels have gone down to 23.01 metres, to 34.79 metres in Pakala, 24.74 metres in Sirikonda and 22.13 metres in Musheernagar.
However, all the urban areas of the district have sufficient groundwater. Nizamabad district has the Raghunath and Arsapally tanks, which help them maintain the groundwater level in the town. Officials say groundwater is excessively used in Bodhan and groundwater decreased by more than 18 to 19 metres.
Nizamabad Ground Water department deputy director R Devendra Prasad told TNIE that builders, while constructing apartments, neglected the construction of rainwater harvesting systems. He said that every apartment must have two borewells, and should arrange a connection to one borewell to receive rainwater from the roof.