Hyderabad: Monsoon-dependent groundwater levels in the state have fallen by more than 11 metres in 2012. In 1988, the fall was a mere five metres and in 1998, it fell by seven metres.

Interestingly all this happened despite normal average rainfall in the past two decades. Sharing the aforementioned with this newspaper, Dr K. Venugopal, joint director of the AP Ground-water Department said that what is more alarming is that perennial resource of groundwater in the state is not only declining but has started drying up.