Groundwater level up in Ahmedabad, Riverfront to rescue

To tackle water crisis during the scorching summer, especially when the water level in Narmada canal has receded, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to dig 30 borewells.

The civic body found that the water level, which usually remains at 380 feet, has now gone down to 320 to 350 feet. Hardly, 10% of groundwater is collected by AMC through borewells.

"The Riverfront has helped the ground level water to rise in nearby areas. In 2001, the groundwater used to be around 380 feet, which has now gone up by almost 50 feet," said Jagdish Patel, city engineer, AMC.

Out of 30 planned borewells, AMC has made 8 wells. The remaining will be finished by mid-April. AMC has planned to dig 15 other borewells in addition to places where necessary.

"We are planning to come up with 15 new borewells in addition to the planned 30 where the water problem persists. Areas like India Colony has been issued sufficient water," said Ramesh Desai, chairman of water and sewage committee, AMC.

Despite several positive steps though of by the civic body, experts believe that fetching water during the summer will be a challenge. "This is not a good sign. There is no proper planning and management. Depending on the groundwater is not a healthy sign. This will bring down the water level," said Mahesh Pandya, a city-based environmentalist.

Meanwhile, AMC is planning to run the borewells round the clock, which will be more expensive as it will use electricity.

...& ANALYSIS

There should be better water management strategies. The problem could be solved by carrying out awareness drives and informing people about water scarcity and that many private borewells are mushrooming in the city. Also, rainwater harvesting should be done.