

GURGAON: It's ironical that at a time when Gurgaon witnesses flood-like situation during monsoon, the groundwater level is continued to deplete. The threat of water scarcity looming over Gurgaon gains in magnitude with each passing year. Ecologists have estimated that at the current rate of consumption, the groundwater reserves here will be all but extinguished by 2030. And the topography of the region is such that Gurgaon's surface water potential is way less than promising. These are some of the disturbing findings of a new academic study on the water situation of Gurgaon, conducted recently by a team of groundwater experts from Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University .

"The problem of water availability in Gurgaon is very serious, and the authorities have to work in a concerted way if they are to avert a crisis," said Dr Gauhar Mahmood, who is a professor in the department of civil engineering and who led the research study.

The study is a result of months of what the professor calls 'micro level data analysis,' and apart from outlining the main 'water problems in Gurgaon,' it serves a set of prescribed solutions to the current crisis. "Net groundwater availability for the district is 20,215.12 hectare metres, and existing gross groundwater draft for all users is 33,055.33 hectare metres," the study points out.

In simpler terms, this means that every year, the district is consuming around 13,000 hectare metres above what should be Gurgaon's yearly quota. "Ideally, we are supposed to extract only 70% of the net availability. And in Gurgaon, each year, around 300% of what's available is being extracted, a lot of it illegally," said Mahmood.

As a result, the decline in water-table under this region has been accelerated. The rate of decline around the Sikanderpur area, to name one instance, is over seven feet per year, according to Jamia's research team. "Even in areas near Rajiv Chowk, which is a water-logged region, there has been a decline of around five feet per year," he said.

At present the average water-table depth here is estimated to be around 280 feet, and groundwater experts say that once it reaches under 600 feet, there is no water left in the aquifers.

The research study, carried out in association with graduate students at the university, strongly recommends a rainwater harvesting master-plan for Gurgaon. "The district needs a complete rainwater harvesting master-plan. A lot of water is also being wasted here. If the drains are designed properly, the flood water can be used to recharge the underground reserves," the professor said.

