Noida: The twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida could soon follow in the footsteps of parched Delhi and depend on other cities or states for
groundwater. Recent data from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) shows water
level has been depleting in
Gautam Budh Nagar at an average rate of 1.5 metres every year for the past five years.
Environmentalists attribute the depletion to “over-extraction” of groundwater mainly by
construction sites and say if conservation doesn’t start on war-footing, then the water table of the two cities could fall by 2 metres annually and could lead to a crisis in coming years.
In Noida region, according to CGWB, the average water table dropped to 24.13 metres in 2017 from 18.22 metres in 2013, while in Greater Noida, it fell to 11.11 metres last year from 7.95 metres five years back.
Similarly, in Dankaur, the water level went down to 7.46 metres in 2017 from 5.54 metres in 2013. And in Jewar, the water table came down to 5.60 metres last year from 4.34 metres in 2013.
In neighbouring Delhi, the situation is serious. The water level has been decreasing from 0.5 metre to over 2 metres per year at different places in Delhi and could trigger a crisis if not halted, the CGWB told the Supreme Court in May this year.
“The water level on an average in Noida and Greater Noida was initially dropping by one metre every year, but over the past five years at some areas, we have seen the average level drop by 1.5 metres,” Rahul Sharma, officer at Uttar Pradesh groundwater department (Gautam Budh Nagar), told TOI.
What has added to the worry of experts is the rate at which the twin cities are expanding.
“The water levels of Noida and Greater Noida are affected by increasing construction in the area. Surprisingly it has been found that deep-rooted trees also affect the level of groundwater in various states and while conservation of water is critical for this region, tree plantation should also be done judiciously so that the ground water is not affected in long run,” said earth scientist K Sidhhartha.
In a recent order in July 2018, the National Green Tribunal, on the basis of an application by Greater Noida-based environmentist, Vikrant Tongad, restricted groundwater usage for building purposes in the twin cities. For buildings up to five stories, 750 litres per sq m is permitted; buildings up to 10 stories can use 1,000 litres per sq m, up to 20 stories can use 1,500 litres per sq m and above 20, is allowed 2,000 litres per sq m.
“Groundwater over-extraction is a grave issue for Noida and Greater Noida. While these cities are heavily under construction, over concretization is leading to lack of groundwater recharge. Groundwater recharge at schools, colleges, institutes, hospitals, industries of Noida must be made mandatory,” said Tongad.
