LUCKNOW: The entire world along with the state capital will celebrate the ‘Earth Hour’ Day on Friday, but a number of cities across the globe, including Lucknow, are struggling with overexploitation of groundwater that may turn the earth water-deficient in the coming years.
According to a survey conducted by a former hydrologist of the UP groundwater department RS Sinha, Lucknow leads in over-exploitation of groundwater in the state with an average of 3.5 million litres of groundwater extracted per one square km which is alarming.
“A total of 1,391 million of litre per day (mld) of groundwater is extracted of which 356 mld is extracted by tubewells as per the data of jal sansthan, while the rest of the extraction of about 1,035 mld is for use in commercial buildings, hospitals, flats and other which are not mapped,” said Sinha
Laying stress on the need for developing techniques for groundwater recharge and water conservation, he said that making the existing rooftop rainwater harvesting systems more efficient is also a must.
Still the only solution is to reduce groundwater extraction and shifting of tubewells outside the city, he added.
Environmentalist Venkatesh Dutta said, “Excessive groundwater extraction in the city will eventually lead to salinity of water and excess of harmful arsenic and fluorides in water.”
