A report by the Ground Water Department has revealed that Sangam City, Prayagraj, is facing an alarming groundwater crisis, with excessive extraction pushing several areas to critical levels.
Of the 23 development blocks in Prayagraj, two—Chaka and Sahaso—have been classified as ‘critical’, while eight others have been deemed ‘semi-critical’ due to the relentless depletion of underground water reserves.
The city itself has been categorised as ‘over-exploited’, with groundwater usage exceeding its annual recharge capacity.
According to Ravikant, in charge of the Ground Water Department in Prayagraj, unregulated groundwater extraction without adequate replenishment has led to a substantial decline in water levels across the district.
“The people must understand the urgency of the situation and take corrective steps,” he stated.
Observations from the Ground Water Department over the past five years indicate a continuous decline in the water table.
In 2020, before the monsoon, the water level near Tej Bahadur Sapru Hospital stood at 15.65 metres below ground level, which receded further to 18.65 metres post-monsoon.
By 2021, it had dropped to 20.50 metres before the monsoon and improved marginally to 17.25 metres afterwards.
Similar patterns were recorded in subsequent years. In 2022, the pre-monsoon level stood at 19.20 metres, slightly improving to 18 metres post-monsoon.
However, in 2023, the water level dropped from 20.35 metres before the monsoon to 20.50 metres afterwards.
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The latest data from 2024 reveals a further dip, with pre-monsoon levels at 22.20 metres, recovering only slightly to 20.60 metres after the monsoon.
As per established benchmarks, an area is considered ‘normal’ if groundwater consumption remains below 70% of the annual recharge.
Usage between 70% and 90% categorises an area as ‘semi-critical’, while consumption between 90% and 100% places it in the ‘critical’ category.
If the withdrawal surpasses the annual recharge rate, the area is deemed ‘over-exploited’.
In Prayagraj’s urban regions, groundwater exploitation has exceeded 100%, pushing the city into the ‘over-exploited’ bracket.
Chaka and Sahaso have witnessed groundwater usage between 90% and 100% of the recharge, marking them as ‘critical’.
Meanwhile, Bahadurpur, Kaudihar, Saidabad, Mauaima, Phulpur, Pratappur, Shringverpur Dham, and Dhanupur have been classified as ‘semi-critical’, with water consumption ranging between 70% and 90% of recharge levels.
Despite the worsening crisis, only 285 residents and commercial building owners, including industrialists and businessmen, have installed rainwater harvesting systems in the district.
Experts emphasise that rainwater harvesting and regulated groundwater use are imperative to reversing the damage and averting a full-blown water crisis in the region.
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