All groundwater table levels in the city are just a click away, thanks to the department installing digital groundwater level recorders (DWLR) at 200 spots in core areas of the city.
The devices can provide groundwater levels instantly and the data from the recorders is processed by the Metrowater and made available for the public to access on its site, said an official.
Before the installation of the recorders, the Metrowater authorities used to collect data manually by measuring level of designated wells in the city. The data was then compiled at the end of every month and released.
With the new devices, one can access the data anytime instead of having to wait a month to know the groundwater level, the official said.
Welcoming the move, hydrogeologist J Saravanan said the new recorders can provide hourly, weekly, fortnightly and monthly data, which will be of great help. “The data can be easily accessed by anyone having a smartphone. It is very useful and good initiative,” he said.
Saravanan also added that this is the first step towards learning about the city’s groundwater table and its management. “Under the manual system, if it rains in the first week of a month, due to the time taken to collect, analyse and release the data, it was difficult to quantify the impact of showers on the groundwater table. Now, the results will be instant and more accurate,” he added.
