Rising water table cause for concern in Narnaul
When the entire focus is on water conservation, a rising water table should come as a welcome news. However, in Narnaul, it has become a cause for concern.
The state government’s efforts to improve water table in the Narnaul area have borne fruits, but the rise in the level of ground water has brought misery for those who have built a basement in their residential and commercial properties here.
Rejuvenation efforts proved instrumental
Rejuvenation of ponds and their connectivity to canals, release of adequate water in dried-up Dohan and Krishnawati rivers, the reach of canal water up to tail-end villages, constructions of several water works and other steps taken proved instrumental in improving the water table in the district.
Rakesh Kumar, hydrologist, Narnaul
The underground water is seeping into basements forcing them to install motors to pump out water from there. The issue surfaced after the water table rose considerably in the area. As per official record, the water table has risen around 20 ft in the Narnaul area in the past two years.
Om Prakash Sharma who runs a physiotherapy centre in the basement of a building located on the Mahendragarh road in Narnaul city said he suddenly noticed seepage around six months ago.
“I found that it was because the level of ground water improved considerably in Narnaul city. I have to install a motor to remove accumulated water from the basement daily. It has also increased our electricity bill,” Sharma added.
Banwari Lal, owner of a confectionary shop at Hero Honda Chowk in Narnaul, said a sitting arrangement was made for customers in the basement but he had to shut it when the groundwater started accumulating there.
“The water up to two-three feet daily accumulates in the basement. Motors have been installed to drain out water. My business has come to complete standstill after closure of the basement, otherwise a considerable number of customers daily used to come to my shop,” he lamented.
Surendra Singh, a property dealer, claimed the majority of people having basement in their residential and commercial properties in the HSVP sector, Mahendragarh Road, Mahavir Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk area in Narnaul town were the worst affected by the problem.
“The basements were constructed by the building owners for the purposes of vehicle parking, godown and giving the space on rent, etc. All the basements were constructed several years ago when the water table of Narnaul was down but it has improved considerably in the past two years, hence people are now avoiding the basement in view of the issue of seepage,” he pointed out.
Bhup Singh, a local resident, said bank, gym, clinic and other commercial activities were being run at several basements in Narnaul but all these business establishments shifted to other buildings due to waterlogging causing financial losses to the building owners.
Pankaj Yadav, president, Resident Welfare Association, HSVP Sector-1, Narnaul, said furniture got damaged in the waterlogging in the basement of her house. “A considerable number of houses in the sector are facing this problem. We have also approached the district and state authorities urging them to find out a permanent solution to the problem,” she added.
Water being drained out from the basement of a building in Narnaul. Photo: Sumit Thara
