The groundwater level in several parts of the Capital declined by 4.5 metres during 2001-02 and the situation was compounded by a further decline of up to three metres due to scanty monsoon rains this year, Parliament was told on Monday. While the state government is primarily responsible for undertaking schemes for ground water augmentation, the CGWB had taken several steps for drought mitigation in the capital, the Minister for state for water resources, Mr Bijoya Chakravarty, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.