Groundwater levels sinking but Gurugram does nothing to stop extraction

GURUGRAM: Illegal extraction of groundwater continues and private water tanker mafia thrives in the city even as its groundwater levels continue to plunge at an alarming rate. In fact, Gurgaon's groundwater fell 16 metres in 10 years to 34.84 metres below ground level in 2015, from 18.77 metres in 2005.

With an estimate that its current population is 20 lakh, the city requires around 150 MGD (million gallons per day) water but Huda supplies only 75-80 MGD. The rest is met by groundwater extraction through illegal borewells.

TOI has time and again raised concerns about the city's depleting water table and illegal extraction of groundwater, but no concrete action has been taken by the authorities on this front yet.

In a report, dated June 6 this year, we highlighted how four crore litres of groundwater are drawn out every day in Gurgaon through illegal borewells. Each time, government agencies promise action but one is yet to see changes on the ground.

As per an estimate of the Centre for Science and Environment, the city has at least 20,000 illegal borewells. More shocking is the fact that the enforcement authorities have sealed not more a dozen such borewells in the past one-and-a-half years, despite a National Green Tribunal ban on such illegal extraction in Delhi-NCR.

Kuldeep Kohli, a city-based environmental activist, said there is an urgent need to address sinking groundwater levels by creating more rainwater harvesting pits. "There is a huge gap between harvesting and extraction, and it will leave the city dry in the coming years," he added.

Gurgaon is situated in a semi-arid area and rain is the main source of recharging groundwater. But as a result of heavy urbanisation and industrialisation, the run-off from rain goes straight to sewers or stormwater drains, reducing the contribution of rainfall to groundwater recharge. "Net annual withdrawal is more than net annual recharge. In the past 20 years, groundwater levels have declined across the district, at a rate of 0.77-1.2m per year," said a Central Ground Water Authority (CGWB) report.

Even though a 2012 Punjab and Haryana high court order prohibited extraction of groundwater through borewells, the practice is rampant in the city. There are around 40 water tanker services in the city. And this, despite authorities claiming to have banned private water tankers some four years ago.

Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said, "Groundwater extraction is illegal, we take action whenever we receive any complaint. Also we inform the district administration which is the final authority in such cases."