No end in sight for water woes as groundwater drops by more than two metres in Coimbatore, Tirupur districts

Coimbatore: If the recently released govt data on groundwater depletion is any indication, water woes are unlikely to end in Coimbatore and neighbouring Tirupur, where people blocking roads with empty pots is a common sight in summers to protest irregular supply.As per the findings of the State Ground and Surface Water Resources Data Centre, Coimbatore and Tirupur are among the three districts in Tamil Nadu that recorded a groundwater depletion of more than two metres over a year. The remaining district is Dindigul.
In the western region, Salem, Namakkal and Dharmapuri districts too witnessed a drop of more than one metre in groundwater levels, indicating growing stress on water resources. As per the available data, groundwater is currently available at an average depth of 10.37 metres in Coimbatore, compared to 8.29 metres last year, and 8.28 metres in Tirupur against 5.66 metres previous year. The declining levels have raised concerns among environmentalists and water resource experts. G Santhosh Krishnan, a weather blogger popularly known as Coimbatore Weatherman, attributes the groundwater depletion in the district to the deficient summer and northeast monsoon rain last year. "Coimbatore district largely relies on summer rain and the northeast monsoon, while the southwest monsoon mainly benefits Siruvani and other water catchment areas. Palakkad Gap, a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore and Palakkad in Kerala, is a key geographical factor contributing to significant rainfall variation in the district," he says. While Coimbatore city received lower rainfall than many other regions last year, he says the city has adequate drinking water supply now, thanks to the southwest monsoon that brought good rainfall in the water catchment areas on the city outskirts. "Otherwise, the city would have faced a severe water shortage. Authorities should closely monitor and implement rainwater harvesting measures in all buildings, be it residential, industrial or commercial establishments to replenish the groundwater levels." P K Selvaraj, founder, Kousika Neerkarangal, says rapid construction activities and industrial growth are major reasons for groundwater depletion in the district. "Authorities are extracting groundwater without adequate measures to recharge aquifers or conserve clean water sources. Water bodies are increasingly being treated as recreational or commercial spaces, rather than being preserved for recharging groundwater levels." According to him, groundwater levels have dropped drastically in areas such as Sulur North, Avinashi South, Kavundampalayam and Annur South, where borewells must go 1,500ft compared to 600ft earlier. S Sivaraja, coordinator, Kousika Neerkarangal, says the continuous groundwater depletion points to mismanagement of water resources in the district, which is home to numerous ponds and lakes. "Need of the hour is to increase the number of recharge wells to improve groundwater levels." He says desilting and restoring the Noyyal river should be treated as a priority, as it is one of the most crucial steps to improve and recharge groundwater levels in Coimbatore city. "Other water bodies should also be desilted and properly maintained at least once every three years. Adequate funds must be allocated for Kudimaramathu projects - the centuries-old community-driven practice of restoring and maintaining ponds and lakes."