Groundwater table available within a few feet of surface in many parts of city, says study

Chennai's groundwater table remains shallow, with levels between 2 to 9.6 feet, encouraging the use of open wells.

Though summer is here, the groundwater table remains within a few feet of the surface in many parts of Chennai, according to a survey by Rain Centre.

Rain Centre, which is the nodal agency for Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM 2.0) under AMRUT 2.0, noted that residents should tap the shallow aquifer through open wells as an alternative to deep borewells.

The organisation, which is dedicated to creating awareness on rainwater harvesting, has found that the groundwater level is available at a depth of two feet to three feet in places like Vepery, R.A. Puram and Jafferkhanpet this March.

Similarly, the water table is now at a depth of five to eight feet in areas like Iyappanthangal, Korattur, Besant Nagar, Mylapore, Velachery and Villivakkam. Places like Adyar, Kolathur and Valluvarkottam have water level at a depth ranging between nine and 13 feet.

According to data of State Ground and Surface Water Resources Data Centre, Water Resources Department, the average water level in Chennai now stands at a depth of 9.6 feet.

Sekar Raghavan, the Rain Centre’s director, said the survey was conducted as part of a project along with various Rotary Clubs to sink recharge wells in government schools across Chennai. “Some works were deferred as we were unable to dig deeper to construct wells as groundwater was found within a few feet of the surface,” he said.