Indian Express 31.08.2009
Groundwater levels dipping by a foot annually in North Indian cities: NASA
With several parts of the country already reeling under drought, scientists in the United States have found that groundwater levels in North Indian cities, including Delhi, are declining by as much as a foot per year over the past decade.
Scientists, with the help of NASA satellite data, have found that groundwater levels in northern India have been declining by as much as 33 centimetres (one foot) per year over the past decade, according to an article on NASA’s website. The findings are based on data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).
More than 108 cubic kilometres (26 cubic miles) of groundwater has disappeared from aquifers in areas of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan between 2002 and 2008, the article said.
Concerned at the loss, the researchers concluded that the loss is “almost entirely due to human activity” and warned that if measures are not taken, the region could witness a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortage of potable water.
“The region has become dependent on irrigation to maximise agricultural productivity. If measures are not taken to ensure sustainable groundwater usage, the consequences for the 114 million residents of the region may include a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortages of potable water,” said the article, which was reprinted on US embassy website.
