Title: Large scale groundwater withdrawal and its consequences on the closing of the upper Musi basin in India

Authors: B. Venkateswara Rao; Rajesh Nune; M.V.S. Rajesh; S.T. Vijaya Sarada

Addresses: Centre For Water Resources, Institute of Science and Technology, JNT University, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India. ' Centre For Water Resources, Institute of Science and Technology, JNT University, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India. ' Centre For Water Resources, Institute of Science and Technology, JNT University, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India. ' Centre For Water Resources, Institute of Science and Technology, JNT University, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India

Abstract: The Musi basin is a sub-basin of the river Krishna in India. Data on ground water levels for 20 years (1985–2004) including the data of Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLR) is analysed to investigate the large scale ground water withdrawal and its affects on reducing the inflows reaching the downstream reservoirs in the basin. The investigations have revealed that the deeper the pre-monsoon ground water levels, the more the recharge to the ground water from the rainfall, consequently reducing the runoff from the basin resulting in the closer of the basin.

Keywords: Musi basin; India; water recharge; rainfall water; reservoir inflows; pre-monsoon groundwater levels; post-monsoon groundwater levels; monsoon; runoff reduction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJW.2011.043314

International Journal of Water, 2011 Vol.6 No.1/2, pp.15 - 28

Published online: 24 Oct 2011 *

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