Water table depth in Palakkad
Most of the 141 wells the Central Ground Water Board measured in Palakkad read 5–10 m. 6% were deeper than 20 m, beyond the reach of hand pumps and shallow borewells.
How deep the water is in Palakkad's wells
Monitoring wells in each depth band, measured before the 2018 monsoon, when the water table is at its lowest.
- 0–2 m3% of wells4
- 2–5 m23% of wells33
- 5–10 m55% of wells77
- 10–20 m13% of wells19
- 20–40 m4% of wells6
- over 40 m1% of wells2
Is groundwater in Palakkad running out?
Palakkad pumps out 56% 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 Palakkad?
In CGWB's pre-monsoon 2018 readings, groundwater in Palakkad stood 1.4 m to 65.4 m below ground (5 to 215 ft) across 141 monitoring wells. Most of them read 5–10 m.
How deep is a borewell in Palakkad?
A borewell has to reach well below the water level, and in summer the level drops further, so in Palakkad it has to go past 65.4 m (215 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 Palakkad?
Palakkad pumps out 56% 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 higher than in 2017.
How deep should a rainwater recharge bore be in Palakkad?
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.