An acute scarcity of fresh water is staring the district in the face, according to the results of a monthly study conducted by the district groundwater department.

The study, which assessed the water level in 63 observation wells, indicates that the failure of monsoon and overall rainfall deficit has led to an alarming depletion in the groundwater table in the district. V. Prasannan, district officer, Groundwater Department, said over the past month the groundwater table at many points in the district had dropped by more than a metre.