Groundwater depleting, Bhopal municipal corporation (BMC) taps tubewell option to keep supply on

BHOPAL: Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a groundwater sustainability project based on specific locations across the state capital's urban regions. The Central Ground Water Board reports concerning trends in the water table depth, measured in metres below ground level (m bgl).

Under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, authorities have begun work on managing shallow aquifers. Officials are evaluating tubewell recharge capabilities at 10 selected sites, with the majority situated along Hoshangabad Road and within the BHEL area, whilst one location is in Arif Nagar.
BMC chief engineer (water supply), Udit Garg, said that the corporation has sanctioned roughly 200 tubewells, which extract about 5 lakh litre of water daily. This volume constitutes approximately 1% of Bhopal's overall daily water distribution.
BMC will implement Recharge Structure construction at 10 locations under AMRUT 2.0 Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM 2.0) project. Water analysis reveals hard to extremely hard water quality, with nitrate levels exceeding safe limits in Islamabad and Sarvar areas (outskirts of the state capital), which could lead to health concerns including blue-baby disease, according to reports
The Central Water Pollution Control Board (CWPCB) reports that certain regions have exceeded acceptable water quality parameters. In 2022, the Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) pilot programme was launched across 10 cities. This project sought to educate city authorities and local residents about shallow aquifers' significance whilst showcasing effective recharge structures to address vital concerns such as declining groundwater levels, pollution and urban flooding.