Bhubaneswar: Even as the world is observing the Water Day on March 22, the big trend sweeping the State of Odisha is groundwater extraction in the State is growing up faster.
This trend assumes significance because only eight districts in the State are not water stressed. But the story has the BIG TWIST here.
SAMPLE THE FOLLOWING
As per the data available with the Niti Aayog, only 8 districts such as Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Deogarh and Sundargarh are not water stressed districts in the country.
]The top planning body has said so on the basis of the per capita availability of water in the districts, which have been more than 1700m3.
The Niti Aayog at the same time has listed as many as 3 districts viz, Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada as water scarcity districts in the country where the per capita water availability has been between 500 – 1000m3.
The apex planning body has counted as many as 19 districts in the State as water stressed. The districts include district headquarter Khordha, where State capital Bhubaneswar lies. (where the per capita water availability lies between 1000 – 1700m3)
GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION
As per the data available with CGWB, Bhubaneswar, the annual groundwater extraction for all uses in the year 2024 has risen to 7.74 billion cubic metres (bcm). In the preceding year 2023, the same stood at 7.39bcm.
The Groundwater balance of the State shows the following.
- Annual recharge: 2024 : 17.46bcm
- Annual recharge: 2023: 17.35bcm
- Annual extractable GW resources: 2024: 16.04bcm
- Annual extractable GW resources: 2023: 15.94bcm
The report of the CGW states that the stage of ground water extraction has increased to 48.23 % in 2024 as compared to 46.33 % in 2023.
The above data shows the groundwater recharge in Odisha has been on the rise. And as the extraction is below 50% of the annual recharge in the State, water enormity doesn’t seem looming here. BUT….
TWIST IN THE STORY
When the CGWB analysis of fall in water table across the State is considered, it rings the alarm bell.
As per the data available, in the pre-Monsoon 2023, the water level in the following districts has taken an eye=popping fall.
Even as Keonjhar has not been included in the water stressed districts of the country, the CGWB analysis shows the red flag to the district.
The water level in the district of Keonjhar has recorded the highest fall in the State during the pre-monsoon 2023. As per the CGWB, the fall ranges from 2mt to more than 4 mt below the ground level.
The report states that the fall in water level is over 4mt below the ground level in the pre-monsoon in the tehsil of Telkoi. In rest of the 13 tehsils, the fall measured is 2-4mt below ground level.
Apart from Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj is the other districts in the State where its 3-4 tehsils have recorded a fall of more than 4 mt bgl in water level during the pre-monsoon period of 2023. The tehsils are Karanjia, Sukruiti and Raruan.
PERENNIAL WATER STRESS DISTRICTS
A glance at the CGWB data shows following districts in the State are perennially water stress districts – be it post or pre-monsoon. It is so because, in these districts, the water re-charge has been very poor.
The water wells in as many as 11 districts show a fall up to 2mt below ground level even after post monsoon. The districts are:
- Jagatsinghpur
- Puri
- Khordha, including Bhubaneswar
- Nayagarh
- Kandhamal
- Ganjam
- Gajapati: case worst as the fall in post monsoon has been higher at 2-4mt.
- Rayagada
- Koraput
- Malkangiri
- Angul
WORST WATER TIGHT DISTRICTS
The CGWB data indicates how many districts in the State that have recorded a fall in water level by 2mt below ground level consistently to record a water level here to a decade low.
As per CGWB, the following districts has measured a fall in water level in 2023 vis-à-vis the decadal (2013-2022) average. This shows water recharge has been very poor in the districts, and the distrcts may go dry in future.
- Keonjhar
- Mayurbhanj
- Sundargarh
- Angul
- Deogarh
- Bargarh
- Subarnapur
- Boudh
- Balangir
- Nabrangpur
- Kalahandi
- Gajapati
- Ganjam
- Rayagada
- Parts of Kandhamal
- Puri
- Khordha, including Bhubaneswar
- Parts of Cuttack
