Deep trouble: Groundwater level dips in 13 dists

A total of 13 districts in Tamil Nadu have recorded a fall in their groundwater level in May compared to May last year, according to data compiled by the Water Resources Department (WRD) for 37 districts barring Chennai.

- S GURUVANMIKANATHAN @Chennai

The sharpest fall was witnessed in the delta district of Thanjavur, where the groundwater level has gone down by 2.51 metres. While the availability was at 1.9 metres in May 2024, it dropped to 4.41 metres in May this year. This is despite ample rain in the monsoon and Karnataka releasing more water in Cauvery due to bountiful rains, which ensured adequate release of water for irrigation in the delta region.

A senior official from WRD told TNIE that despite availability of river-based irrigation systems in the delta and western regions, many of the farmers still use borewells due to easy availability, leading to faster depletion of groundwater levels.