Excessive use of Groundwater

written by: Naqib Ahmad Azizi

 Freshwater is essential for life. Plants, animals, and humans all need fresh water to survive. Water used up from groundwater, rivers, and lakes are replenished by rain and snowfall but excessive use of groundwater causes some crucial issues.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue.

Munir Ahmad, a resident of Qarabagh district, Ghazni province says, “Our village is consists of 20 families. Each family has installed a solar panel and each of them pulls 1-3 inches water and now the groundwater level has dropped intensively. Before we were getting water from about 3 meters deep but now we could hardly get water from more than 10 meters deepness.”

Hamdard, a resident of Qarabagh district, Kabul province says, “One day I saw a boy was carrying water in a trolley. I asked him if they don’t have a water well in their house. The boys replied they have but it’s drained. The cause of drainage of their well was the installment of solar panels for pumping underground water away from their house.”

What do people think about the causes of these issues?

Munir Ahmad says, “The main cause of excessive use of underground water is the installment of solar panels. Before we had a turn for irrigation of our land but now solar panels cause us to pump as much water as you want. The landowners turn on the solar panels and they leave them for hours. I asked a peasant that why he uses underground water more than need, he replied that he has installed a solar panel and it doesn’t have any expenses.”

A geologist, Asim Mayar talks about the causes of this issue: “The main cause of the drought in recent years is the excessive use of underground water and on the other hand, most of ways and areas are paved and concreted and these pavements do not let rainwater or snowfall water to reach groundwater and more industrial and constructive affairs also cause the excessive use of groundwater and these kinds of water usage might cause the draining of underground water.”

How do people find a solution to this issue?

Muhammad Arif Afghan, a resident of Kunduz province says, “We do not use a solar panel for pumping underground water. We have made a water reservoir at home. We fill it once a day by turning on the solar panel and then use them in the time of need.”

Lailwal Khan, a resident of Yusufkhel of Paktika province says, “We use solar panels for drinking and irrigation water. My father has the responsibility for pumping as much water as we need and we prevent the excessive usage of water.”

Mayar says, “In the first step, people should control the usage of underground water and they should avoid excessive usage of water. They should not use solar panels for underground water, they could use them for pumping rivers water. They should build reservoirs for rainwater and snowfalls and then we use them when needed.”