Karwar: With soaring temperatures in Uttara Kannada district, water problems are surfacing at some places in the district. But a major reason for this problem is the drastic fall in the underground water table. 

According to experts, groundwater depletion has intensified in the district in the last five years. Between the year 2015 and 2019, the underground water table has gone down by an average of 1.67 meters from the surface-level in the coastal areas. 

“The extent of groundwater depletion in the district spread over 10,000 sq kilometre is unimaginable. So, the need of the hour is to take up groundwater recharging work on war-footing. Or else, the district which has once seen abundant water availability will have to face serious consequences,” said Mines & Geology Department scientist M P Hitnal. 

Hitnal says that the situation in the Malnad region is no different. “Between the years 1947 and 2015, the underground water level in the Malnad region ranged between a minimum depth of three meter and up to a maximum of 28 meters from the surface-level. But after 2015, it ranged between a minimum depth of five meter and up to a maximum of 42 meters from the surface-level. This average drop of around two meters in the groundwater level is an alarming figure,” the officer said and explained that it was quite difficult to recharge the underground water table in such conditions. 

He said that any amount of rain in the rainy season will not be enough to augment the groundwater.

He said that the Mines & Geology Department constantly collects samples from 106 places across the district and conducts studies. As per the study, the underground water-levels has seen a fluctuation between 0.5 metres and 4.75 metres in the rainy season in the coastal areas of the district between the years 1947 and 2015. However, after 2015, the maximum level has dropped to 6.1 metres. If a similar situation continues even in days to come then, people will have to face a grimmer situation.

Where does rainwater go?

Though several rivers flow in the district, around 80% of the houses are dependent on underground water for drinking. This apart, maximum amount of groundwater is utilised for agriculture. In the rainy season in June, water is generally available at a depth of just half a metre from the surface. But after January, the water is got at a depth of around six metres.

“We must think as to why some parts of the district are facing water problem in summer even after receiving abundant rain in the monsoon season? Unscientific use of water, intense fluctuation in population, indiscriminate drilling of borewells, construction of all-weather roads and other infrastructures like buildings and bridges prevent water from entering the ground,” Hitnal explains.

He also said that the cropping pattern had also affected groundwater recharge. Cotton cultivation was dominant in Haliyal and Mundgod areas earlier. But today, in the name of improvised farming, they were growing water-guzzling sugarcane. Many farmers were also growing maize. In that way, the consumption of water had also gone up. But at the same time, water recharge was not taking place at the same rate.

According to experts, water collected by only 800 mm of rain can be utilised even if the district receives an average rain of 4,000 mm as the remaining water either enters the ground or joins the sea.