PANAJI
In the last five years, 74 per cent of the wells analysed in the State of Goa have reported an increase in water level, according to the data by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
As per the data furnished by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti in the Rajya Sabha, the Board analysed 73 wells from 2019-23 and again post-monsoon in 2004. To assess the long-term fluctuation in groundwater, the post-monsoon 2024 water level data was compared with the mean of the last five years (2019-23) post-monsoon water level data.
Among the wells analysed, 54 witnessed an increase in water level while 19 wells recorded a fall during the period. None of the wells recorded an excess to 4-metre fall in the water level. A total of 49 wells, almost 67 per cent, show a rise in water level between 0-2 metres while water in another five ranges between 2-4 metres.
As per sources, generally the water level increases in the rainy season due to two major reasons - the drop in demand for groundwater and rainwater recharging underground groundwater table.
CGWB monitors groundwater levels throughout the country on a regional scale, four times every year. The all-India analysis shows that 54.4 per cent of analyzed wells show rising water levels. Further, in the 19 wells, the water level has dropped in the range of 0-2 metres.
In India, more than 70 per cent of the wells in the States of Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya have reported a decrease in water level. In Gujarat, a maximum of 80 per cent of wells have witnessed a rise in water level, followed by States like Goa, Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, etc.
