Depleting water levels in Karimagar and Sircilla districts

Metro India News | KARIMNAGAR

Groundwater levels have declined sharply in Karimnagar and Rajanna Sircilla districts due to prolonged dry conditions and the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, raising concerns among farmers ahead of the kharif cultivation season. With reservoirs rapidly depleting and borewells drying up, uncertainty over irrigation water availability has heightened anxiety in the agricultural sector. Compared to February, water tables in Karimnagar town dropped by 4.62 metres within just four months.

The situation has been compounded by shrinking water storage in the Lower Manair Dam and other irrigation projects. With rainfall remaining scarce, many agricultural borewells are on the verge of drying up, threatening irrigation for the upcoming cropping season. A similar trend has emerged in neighboring Rajanna Sircilla district, where groundwater reserves continue to recede. According to the State Groundwater Department, the district's average groundwater level has dropped to a depth of 12.26 metres, representing a decline of approximately 2.91 metres compared to the previous year.

Officials attribute the worsening situation to a combination of El Niño-induced rainfall deficit, inadequate filling of the Mid Manair and Upper Manair reservoirs, and the lack of water lifting from the Yellampalli and Kaleshwaram irrigation projects. Agriculture officials are encouraging farmers to shift from water-intensive crops such as paddy and instead cultivate less water-demanding crops like red gram, green gram, and black gram. They say such crop diversification could help conserve water resources and reduce the impact of drought conditions on agricultural productivity.