Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy assesses the ground water situation in the state at a meeting held in Hyderabad on Friday. | Photo credit: By arrangement
HYDERABAD
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy called for steps to strengthen groundwater management, tighten restrictions in over-exploited areas, improve rainwater harvesting and intensify inter-ministerial regulation of groundwater extraction.
He reviewed the functioning of the ground water department in a meeting held here on Friday, which was attended by Irrigation Minister E. Sridhar, senior officials of the department and hydrology experts. One of the key decisions taken during the meeting was to direct all district collectors to convene district-level groundwater committees to strengthen institutions and ensure regular monitoring of extraction and recharge patterns.
Officials of the Groundwater Department explained to the Minister that the recharge of the groundwater table has improved significantly during 2025. Annual replenishment was estimated at 19.61 lakh hectares compared to 18.44 lakh hectares in 2024, an increase of nearly 1.17 lakh hectares. However, mining also rose sharply from 8.45 million hectares to 9.18 million hectares during the same period.
The minister also directed that all overexploited villages identified in the latest groundwater assessment be formally communicated to district administrations with instructions to limit further borehole drilling and additional groundwater extraction. Officials said groundwater pressure was concentrated in 16 districts, with Hyderabad alone reporting eight mandals in the over-exploited category.
Another important issue discussed was the need for more thorough consultation with the Department of Groundwater before sand mining was approved. The state currently monitors groundwater levels through 1,771 piezometers, 352 observation wells, 921 command area observation wells, and 64 flow control points.
Published – 15 May 2026 23:35 IST
