She said that water level data for pre-monsoon 2015 compared with decadal mean of pre-monsoon (2005-2014) indicates a decline in ground water level in 47% of the wells monitored.
On Wednesday, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Y.S.Chowdary in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha said that in the first three months in 2016, 87 people died owing to a heatwave, with Telangana recording the maximum number of deaths (56) followed by Odisha (19).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD)in its seasonal outlook for temperatures during the 2016 Hot Weather Season (April- June) as given below on 31st March 2016 said that during the 2016 Hot Weather Season (April to June), warmer than normal temperatures are expected in all meteorological sub-divisions of the country. Seasonal (April-June) average temperatures over north-west India are expected to be above normal by more than 1.00 C. Above normal heat wave (HW) conditions are very likely over central and north-west India during the 2016 Hot Weather Season.