Ggm: Groundwater levels down by 5 m in two years

Gurugram: In a study conducted by the groundwater cell of the Haryana Agriculture Department from 2018 to 2020, the groundwater levels in Gurugram have dipped to five meters below the ground level. As per the public agency in 2018, groundwater reserves in urban Gurugram could be taken at 33.2 metres which dipped further to 35.9 metres in 2019 to 38.5 in 2020.

Despite being placed in a dark zone by Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) five years ago, there has been no improvement in the replenishment of groundwater reserves in Gurugram.

In areas with posh residential colonies such as Sikanderpur, Udyog Vihar, Chakkarpur the reserves are at 75 metres below the ground level.

Rural Gurugram has also seen substantial depletion of groundwater resources in the two years between 2018 and 2020. Pataudi's level dipped by 2 metres; in Sohna and Farrukh Nagar, the levels dipped by almost one metre each.

A major reason for such rapid depletion was cited as the increasing number of natural waterbodies, lakes and ponds being filled up due to rabid urbanisation.

In 2019, through public-private partnership an organisation known as Gurujal was set up to address this problem.

At present, Gurujal is working to revive 25 ponds, of which 13 are under the MCG and 12 are owned by panchayati lands.