Chandrapur's groundwater falls by 1.25 metres on average; 165 villages in four watersheds face possible scarcity

Chandrapur: The below-normal monsoon is now showing up in Chandrapur's groundwater, with a September assessment finding that levels have fallen by an average of 1.25 metres, The Times of India reported. The Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA) measures levels in 134 observation wells across the district four times a year.

The latest round found a drop of about a metre in Nagbhid, Korpana and Jiwati talukas and of one to two metres in the other 12. By watershed, levels fell by up to a metre in 14, by one to two metres in 38 and by two to three metres in four. With 165 villages in those four watersheds at risk of water shortages, the GSDA has asked people to use water carefully.

Against an annual average of 1,040 mm, the district received 723.70 mm of rain in the four monsoon months, a shortfall of about 30.4%. June was nearly dry, July and August brought only intermittent showers, and most of September passed without rain. The Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, which ran about 150 water tankers in the summer, is reportedly still running around 80 a day in some localities.

Kharif crops have also been badly hit, and 12 of the district's 15 talukas have been declared drought-hit by the state government. Collector Vasumana Pant has told all talukas to draw up water-supply plans in advance, after assessing available stocks and expected demand, to last until the next monsoon. Officials have been asked to put water conservation, sparing use and contingency measures first.

Source: The Times of India