The Uttar Pradesh government has set at rest all speculations regarding the cracks appearing on the crust of the earth in some districts of the state. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, UP chief secretary Atul Gupta said that the government had consulted groundwater experts and scientists from the Geological Survey of India which had also sent teams to the affected areas. "This phenomenon has been taking place since the last three years and there is nothing to worry about," the chief secretary said. Dr P.N. Razdan, deputy director-general of GSI, said that the cracks were a result of excessive exploitation of groundwater and poor recharge. "There has been an excessive withdrawal of groundwater in these areas and the recharge has been below average. The heat conditions are followed by sudden rains which leads to cracks. A common factor is that alluvial soil exists in all these areas and the cracks have appeared in areas that lie close to the river," Dr Razdan said. He further pointed out that such cracks have been appearing since the past three years in June, July and August and are not a matter of concern.