Mysuru: The sharp depletion of the groundwater table in Mysuru district due to poor rainfall this year has left thousands of farmers dependent on irrigation pump sets in distress.According to sources in Groundwater Directorate, the water table had fallen to 13.4m below ground level (mbgl), or nearly 44ft, by the end of Aug. During the corresponding period last year, the groundwater level stood at 8.4 mbgl. This year, it has dropped by about 5m owing to drought-like conditions and a weak monsoon in the district.According to the agriculture department, Mysuru district recorded a 59% rainfall deficit between June 1 and Sept 15. Against the normal 350mm of rainfall during the crucial kharif season, the district received only 144mm, leading to a significant decline in groundwater levels.A large number of farmers cultivate sugarcane, vegetables, ginger and tobacco using irrigation pump sets powered by borewells, either individually or under various govt schemes, including the Ganga Kalyana Scheme. Some farmers also cultivate paddy using borewell irrigation. The district has 17,157 domestic borewells and 43,757 irrigation pump-set connections.With groundwater levels declining, many borewells have stopped yielding water, while others are producing considerably less. As a result, thousands of farmers face the prospect of crop losses and reduced yields this year. The increased depth of groundwater has also raised electricity consumption. Farmers allege that erratic power supply by Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) over the past month has further affected irrigation. Although govt has promised seven hours of uninterrupted three-phase power supply to irrigation pump sets, growers claim they are not receiving the assured supply.The falling water table has also increased the financial burden on farmers, who must now spend more on deepening borewells, installing higher-capacity pumps and consuming additional electricity. This, in turn, raises cultivation costs and electricity subsidy expenditure. Small and marginal farmers who obtained borewells under the Ganga Kalyana Scheme are among the worst affected, as many cannot afford the cost of deepening their wells.“As groundwater levels fall, farmers need more powerful pumps and consume more electricity to draw water. In areas with a high concentration of borewells, the groundwater table continues to decline further,” said Mahadevaiah, a farmer using irrigation pumpset.Speaking to TOI, senior geologist Prasannakumar of Groundwater Directorate said the groundwater table had fallen to 13.4 mbgl this year due to a weak monsoon linked to the El Niño effect. He said the decline had significantly affected irrigation pump-set farmers across the district.
