City running out of ground water - Deccan Herald - Internet Edition

City running out of ground water - Deccan Herald - Internet Edition: "

The groundwater situation is in a critical condition in Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, Nelamangala, Bangalore East (Whitefield and adjoining areas) and Hoskote, according to officials from Department of Mines and Geology. Planning to invest in property in Bangalore? Make sure that there is adequate surface water supply and a provision for rain water harvesting because groundwater resources in both the Bangalore Urban and Rural districts are already in the red.In several residential areas, especially in Bangalore North and East, borewells are dry or on the verge of drying. Ironically, these areas, recording meteoric rise in land prices, are among the 'most critical' areas as far as groundwater is concerned.
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“The situation has worsened in the last three years. The average annual rainfall in the district is only 600 mm to 700 mm per year. Because of the drought in 2001, 2002 and 2003, groundwater recharge has been very low. Bangalore is entirely dependent on rainfall because it is built on a plateau, on different hydrological basins of South Pinakini and Cauvery rivers,” another officer from the Department of Mines and Geology said. “It’s time the government declared a five-year holiday to exploitation of groundwater.”

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According to the report on groundwater resources of Karnataka in March 2004 (the last five-yearly report on groundwater resources) by the Department of Mines and Geology, though the total annual groundwater recharge in Devanahalli was 6,496.65 hectares per metre (HAM), the gross groundwater draft for all uses was 14,294.31 HAM. In Bangalore North, the total annual groundwater recharge was 6,943 HAM and the overdraft was 13,132.21 HAM. In Bangalore South, the groundwater recharge was 6543.16 HAM and the overdraft was 11,856.63 HAM.

“The figures show that people have not only over-exploited groundwater, but have also drilled into the static water reserve, which should be used only in emergency situations,” said a department official.

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