The main reason for the groundwater table not getting recharged is the construction of concrete buildings in very nook and corner of Greater Hyderabad which leaves little space for rainwater to seep into the ground.


The recent heavy rains in the twin cities have done precious little to raise the worsening groundwater level. According to the Andhra Pradesh Ground Water Department, not even a metre of groundwater table has been recharged in the last one month. It is a cause for worry as out of the total demand for water, about 25 to 30 percent is met by groundwater alone.

"Though there were copious rains in the last few weeks, unfortunately the groundwater table has not been recharged and all the rainwater entered into the polluted Musi river," officials told Expresso.

The main reason for the groundwater table not getting recharged is the construction of concrete buildings in very nook and corner of Greater Hyderabad which leaves little space for rainwater to seep into the ground. Besides this, all the main and internal roads are covered either by BT or concrete, causing run-off of the rainwater. Another reason is that despite the mandatory rule to have rain water harvesting structures (RWHS) under the Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Tree Act (APWALTA), one can hardly find them in households, residential or commercial complexes.

Speaking to Expresso, ground water department officials said the ground water table in the mandals of Marredpally, Malkajgiri, Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar, Nampally, Khairatabad and Rajendranagar have depleted further. The depth of the groundwater level remains the same as it was in May.