Chandigarh: Water woes in Haryana have further deepened. As if deficient rainfall was not enough, the water table has registered a substantial fall of half a metre since last year while it has dipped by nearly three metres in certain pockets of the state. Though the water table has shown a marginal rise in a few areas, the increase is limited to districts plagued with saline water. According to the information gathered by the Department of Agriculture, Haryana, from all over the districts, the water table in Mahendragarh is down by 2.94 metre while Faridabad is a close second with a fall of 2.49 metre. The underground water level in Yamunanagar too has declined by 2.39 metre. As many as 18 out of 21 districts in the state have reported a further decline in the water table this year. However, compared to the base year data of June 1974, while the total decline in water level on an average has been 6.47 metres, Mahendragarh is down by nearly 28 metres from 16.11 m to 44.02 m this year. Sonepat has shown a minimum decline of 0.12 m over last year while the water table in Bhiwani has fallen by 0.54 m as compared to the data of 1974. Sources say in a state that is deficit in water, the density of tubewells is one big factor. From merely 27,000 in 1966 when Haryana was carved out, the number of tubewells has now increased to 6.6 lakh. Mahendragarh, with its hard, rocky surface, has a recharge problem. The four districts of Hisar, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Rewari have shown a very marginal increase from last year, varying between 0.01 m to 0.22 m. However, compared to the base year data, Jhajjar has shown a minimum rise of 1.12 m and Hisar has shown an increase of 8.11 m along. Explains Director, Agriculture, Anil Malik: