India, Nov. 5 -- Groundwater levels have declined in 554 of Telangana's 621 mandals, with the state's average groundwater depth reaching 8.28 metres below ground level in October, according to the Telangana Groundwater Department's monthly report.

The average depth represents a decline of 2 metres compared with October last year. The area where groundwater is found at depths exceeding 20 metres has expanded from 478 sq km to 2,040 sq km, compared with the October averages for 2016-2025. Around 89 per cent of the state's mandals recorded a decline against the decadal average.

Greater Hyderabad recorded a particularly sharp decline, with the average groundwater depth increasing by 7.17 metres in a year, from 5.42 metres in October 2025 to...