Gurugram may run out of water in a decade as ground water dips one metre per year

Gurugram: The difficulties faced by four million residents of Cape Town in South Africa to avoid 'Day Zero', a term when city will city completely run out of water, is also being felt in certain Indian cities. The crisis of water supply to over two million and growing population in Gurugram can be most severe.

With ground water on an average depleting at one metre per year, there are fears that the city may run out of water completely in less than a decade. The effects of it begin to be felt almost during every summer in the city with large parts reeling under water crisis.

Areas that are in proximity to poshest areas closer to the city are still witnessing widescale development and in most of these areas the water level has fallen down as low as 150 metres. The city has witnessed constant reduction in water bodies and matter has been made worse with exploitation of ground water reserves. In 1974, where the ground water in Gurugram could be traced at six meters below the ground level, today it has fallen down to levels of 40 meters.

Around 40 percent of Gurugram denizens still depend on the ground water for their water supply. Water scarcity in large parts of the city has resulted in the growth of tanker mafia where water is being sold to the residents at exorbitant rates. Most of the residents complain that they are forced to pay the amount ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 to the private water tankers.

Even as digging of illegal bore wells has been banned by the court, there are over 15,000 illegal bore wells that have been dug up in the city. In most of the areas in the city, the ground water has fallen to levels of 50 metres. The alarming decline in water levels in the city was also brought up by the National Green Tribunal. The challenge towards renewal of falling ground water reserves in the city can be gauged from the fact that over 180 out of 300 water harvesting pits under the Gurugram civic body are defunct. The figures came from the survey that was sanctioned by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG).

The non-productive use of such pits further increases as water harvesting units in various private colonies and HUDA sectors have also not been effectively utilised.

Over 500 water harvesting pits are expected to come up in the city. There is another challenge as the presence of large amounts of chemicals has been found in the districts of South Haryana that also includes Gurugram.

The presence of lead and mercury that are the main causes for forming cancer was also found in large amounts. Taking cognisance of the major health challenge caused by the extremely contaminated underground water, the Haryana government is building a leachate treatment plant.

The government is also planning to set up a waste to energy plant in the area. The villagersm, however, do not seem to be impressed by these moves and have planned to challenge it through legal means. There were 4,592 deaths in 2017 due to cancer. What can prove to be a warning sign for residents of Gurugram that it's neighbour Faridabad with 771 deaths was the leader.