Guwahati’s groundwater depletion nears a crisis point

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The groundwater levels in Guwahati, the largest city in northeast India, have long been in the midst of a crisis, and officials from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) have raised concerns. Despite repeated warnings, the situation has shown no signs of improvement, and the assessment conducted in approximately 60 evaluation stations has shown sustained semi-critical status.

Rapid urbanisation and population growth have increased from a gradual process. Urban expansion and increased urbanisation have also hampered rainwater infiltration, further straining groundwater resources. More than that, the increase in population has resulted in a decline in groundwater extraction.

An official of CGWB stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that continued extraction trends could quickly scale up the problem to a critical stage and ultimately precipitate a wider crisis in the city. Most importantly, Guwahati's groundwater is primarily tapped for domestic users, with assessments every year in March, within the city's territorial boundaries.

However, the estimation process does not include hilly areas with a sleep slope of more than 20%. An official explained that this was due to the differences in rainwater infiltration and extraction ratios, which vary across locations based on soil composition and geographical aspects.

Among the challenges, there is a glimmer of hope with the progress of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-supported water supply projects in the city. These will probably result in a significant reduction in the dependency of the population on groundwater.

Given this situation, the people needed urgent interventions and sustainable strategies to find a way out of a fully-blown crisis.

Also Read: Departments mull solutions to dwindling groundwater levels in Guwahati (sentinelassam.com)

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