Kaleshwaram, Mission Kakatiya aid in pumping up groundwater table in Telangana, report

HYDERABAD: A joint assessment report by the Telangana State Ground Water Department and the Central Water Commission (CWC) found that the groundwater table of Telangana increased by more than four meters after 2014.

The State Level Committee (SLC) meeting held in Hyderabad approved the “Dynamic Ground Water Resources of Telangana State for the year 2023” under the chairmanship of the State Irrigation and CAD departments’ special chief secretary Rajat Kumar.

A series of check dams, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) and Mission Kakatiya recharged the groundwater levels and at the same time, extraction of groundwater was reduced by 19 percent with the increased availability of canal-based irrigation.

As per the assessment report, the groundwater table increased in 83 percent of the mandals, which is the highest in the country. On the other hand groundwater extraction in the state was reduced by 19 percent to 38 percent from 58 percent as compared to 2013.

Similarly, the extractable groundwater resources increased by 56 percent in 2023 (739 tmcs) as compared to 2013 (472 tmcs).

The CWC and Ministry of Jal Shakthi appreciated the initiatives undertaken by the Telangana Government, particularly in reducing dependency on groundwater.

In addition to the construction of lift irrigation projects that help in increasing the groundwater levels, the restoration of more than 27,472 minor irrigation tanks under Mission Kakatiya, helped to lift the water levels.

The Telangana Government also constructed over 1,000 artificial recharge structures such as check-dams, percolation tanks, and recharge pits rapidly restoring groundwater to record levels.

Complementing the Ground Water Department and the Central Ground Water Board on their excellent performance, the Special Chief Secretary suggested that precious groundwater resources of the state must be optimally used for the welfare and prosperity of the Telangana farmers.