Water table depth in Kannur
Most of the 104 wells the Central Ground Water Board measured in Kannur read 5–10 m. 2% were deeper than 20 m, beyond the reach of hand pumps and shallow borewells.
How deep the water is in Kannur's wells
Monitoring wells in each depth band, measured before the 2018 monsoon, when the water table is at its lowest.
- 0–2 m2% of wells2
- 2–5 m20% of wells21
- 5–10 m52% of wells54
- 10–20 m24% of wells25
- 20–40 m2% of wells2
- over 40 m0% of wells0
Is groundwater in Kannur running out?
Kannur pumps out 45% of the groundwater that can safely be taken out each year (2025, Central Ground Water Board). Pumping is within safe limits. Recharging rain from roofs and open ground is the way to lift the water table back up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the water table depth in Kannur?
In CGWB's pre-monsoon 2018 readings, groundwater in Kannur stood 1.7 m to 22 m below ground (5 to 72 ft) across 104 monitoring wells. Most of them read 5–10 m.
How deep is a borewell in Kannur?
A borewell has to reach well below the water level, and in summer the level drops further, so in Kannur it has to go past 22 m (72 ft) where wells read deepest. The exact depth depends on where the water-bearing rock or sand layer is, which a local hydrogeologist or driller can tell from nearby bores.
Is the water table falling in Kannur?
Kannur pumps out 45% of the groundwater that can safely be taken out each year (2025), rated safe. Pumping is within what rain puts back, so the level is broadly holding. That is 0 points lower than in 2017.
How deep should a rainwater recharge bore be in Kannur?
About 60 ft is typical where most wells read 5–10 m, deep enough to pass the clay layers that block water and reach sand or fractured rock that carries it down to the water table. The final depth is set on site from the soil seen while drilling.
Source: District-wise Depth to Water Level and Distribution of Percentage of Wells for the Period of Premonsoon, 2018 (one PDF per State/UT), Central Ground Water Board. Levels vary between neighbourhoods and fall further in a dry year, so a reading near you can differ.