Bhubaneswar, July 25 (IANS) The groundwater level has decreased by 6.71 per cent between 2009 and 2017 in Odisha, a state minister said on Thursday.

Giving a written reply to a question of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Water Resources Minister Raghunandan Das informed the Assembly that 1.12 billion cubic metres of groundwater has depleted between 2009 and 2017.

According to data of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the groundwater level in Odisha stood at 16.69 billion cubic metres in 2009 while it reduced by 1.12 billion cubic metres to 15.57 billion in 2017.

This is a decrease of 6.71 per cent, said the minister.

Das also informed that as per the data of CGWB, the groundwater is fast depleting in Koraput district.

In 1999, the groundwater level was 0.82 billion cubic metres in the district. Presently, it has decreased to 0.48 billion cubic metres, said the minister.

--IANS cd/kr