The data has been collected from over 300 water meters installed in various locations during surveys conducted from 2013 to 2017 in both rural and urban areas of the districts.
The truth is out there, but can we embrace it? No! We stubbornly refuse what we can — and more importantly, while we can. It has been confirmed from official sources — Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Department (GWD) — that the levels of underground water in both Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad are falling at a rate of over 1 metre every year!
If that remains the case, we could run out of groundwater soon — far sooner than we can envision.
Rapid increase in population, changes in rain patterns, unchecked groundwater extraction and use of groundwater for farming are the primary reasons behind depleting groundwater levels in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, confirmed officials of GWD.
The data has been collected from more than 300 water meters installed in various locations during surveys conducted from 2013 to 2017 in both rural and urban areas of the districts.
In Ghaziabad, the groundwater status was measured at 36 urban locations and another four rural blocks, including Loni, Bhojpur, Muradnagar and Razapur. Similarly, the levels were measured at 36 different locations in Noida, 35 locations in Greater Noida and another four rural blocks — Dadri, Dankaur, Bilaspur and Jewar.
“We studied the groundwater level every year in April and May before the rainy season in each area from 2013 to 2017. We also took readings of groundwater levels in October after the rainy season each year. We then compiled the report,” said Bipul Kumar, a GWD official.
