The surface below in the city oflakes, is drying. The dire warning is based on a decade-long monitoring which found depletion in water levels inBhopalby a high 66.7%. Indore and Jabalpur reported a more higher depletion rate inground waterlevels at 85% and 82.4%. The country’s Average for million plus cities is 40.2%, according toCentral Ground Water Board(CGWB).
Over 55 million cities were analysed. In Bhopal, the water levels in 15 wells were analysed from November 2012 to November 2022. As many as 10 of the wells reported a depletion in water levels. Eight of them were 0-2 m, one each was 2.-4 m and above 4 m. Four wells where the level rose were 0-2 m and one 2-4 m, according to the CGWB.
As many as 24 of the cities analysed showed a greater than 50% depletion in water levels. Around 20 locations were analysed in Indore in which an alarming 17 showed a decline. In Jabalpur too 14 of 17 analysed showed a decline. Only on location was analysed in Gwalior which did not show a decline.
CGWB monitors the ground water levels periodically in the cities on a regional scale through a Network of monitoring wells.