Visakhapatnam’s groundwater falls 3.86 metres in a year; six villages past 20 metres deep
Groundwater levels in Visakhapatnam district fell by about 3.86 metres over the past year, with six villages now more than 20 metres below the surface. District officials attribute the decline to a nearly 48 % shortfall in rainfall, intensive borewell pumping and extensive concrete paving that hinders natural recharge. Around 135 settlements, including 39 city wards, lie between six and twenty metres deep.