Mangaluru: Even as the state government declared two of the five taluks in Dakshina Kannada being drought-hit earlier this year, statistics from the mining and geology department show that the groundwater level in the district has undergone a stark decline in the last seven years.

A comparison in the groundwater table as of August 2010 and August 2017 shows that the groundwater table in two of the five taluks has gone down drastically, while in two other taluks, it has been slightly recharged. The highest groundwater depletion is seen in Mangaluru. The total groundwater table in the district as of August 2010 and August 2017 also shows that water table has been depleted by 2.03 metres.

Water table in Belthangady in August 2010 was available at 4.95 metres below the surface of the land, while it is now available at 6.32 metres, witnessing depletion by 1.37 metres. In Mangaluru, the groundwater level was 7.39 metres in August 2010, while in August 2017 it is 10.63 metres. In what comes as a silver lining, groundwater level has risen considerably in Bantwal from 6.73 metres to 4.14 metres in seven years, while in Sullia, water level has shot up slightly from 5.99 metres to 5.28 metres. The water table in Puttur is almost the same as of August 2017 compared to August 2010. While in August 2010, it was 3.10 metres, it is 3.11 metres in August 2017.

Senior geologist Janaki P said that the increase in the number of borewells has led to over-utilisation of groundwater and that is the main reason for groundwater depletion as demand is more than supply.
As of 2016-17, there were a total of 1,015 borewells in the district. As many as 332 borewells have been additionally drilled this financial year, taking the total number to 1,347.