FINDINGS OF DYNAMIC GROUNDWATER RESOURCES ASSESSMENT

Ministry of Jal Shakti FINDINGS OF DYNAMIC GROUNDWATER RESOURCES ASSESSMENT प्रव तथ: 18 DEC 2025 5:45PM by PIB Delhi Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country are being annually assessed, jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments. As per the 2025 assessment, the total Annual Ground Water Recharge in the country is 448.52 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) and the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resources is estimated as 407.75 BCM. The Further, total Annual Ground Water Extraction of the entire country for the year 2025 has been assessed as 247.22 BCM. Based on this, the Stage of Ground Water Extraction (SoE), which is a measure of Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses (irrigation, industrial and domestic uses) over Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource is worked out to be 60.63% for the country as a whole. Regarding categorization of units in terms of their stage of ground water extraction, out of the total 6762 Assessment Units (Blocks/Taluks/Mandals) in the country, 730 (10.80%) units have been categorized as ‘Over- exploited’ indicating ground water extraction exceeding the annually replenishable ground water recharge. Further, 201 units (2.97 %) have been categorized as ‘Critical’, 758 units (11.21 %) as ‘Semi- critical’ and 4946 units (73.14 %) are in ‘Safe’ category. Additionally, 127 assessment units (1.88%) are categorized as ‘saline’. State/UT-wise details are provided in Annexure -I. Further, the District-Wise Ground Water Resources for all the states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha can be seen in the National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2025 which can be accessed at: https://cgwb.gov.in/cgwbpnm/download/1741# page=171 Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data of the country on a regional scale as part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies conducted as per the approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Overall, the data on ground water quality indicates that the ground water in the country remains largely potable with localized occurrences of contaminants in isolated pockets. State-wise distribution of major pollutants such as Arsenic, Fluoride, Nitrate and heavy metals, as per the Annual Ground Water Quality Report – 2025 can be viewed through the web link provided below: https://cgwb.gov.in/cgwbpnm/public/uploads/documents/1764833633531847433file.pdf Efforts of the Central government towards ground water monitoring, aquifer mapping and recharge along with spreading community awareness, are mainly channeled through the schemes/programmes like Ground Water Management & Regulation (GWM &R) Scheme, Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB), Atal Bhujal Yojana etc.GWM &R is a central sector scheme under which funds are not disbursed to states but rather are completely allocated and spent by CGWB for the purpose of ground water monitoring, mapping and regulation. Further, JSA and JSJB take up large scale construction/rejuvenation of artificial recharge/rain water harvesting works through convergence with ongoing central and state schemes and no separate funds are allotted for this purpose. As per the available data on JSA dashboard, an expenditure of approximately Rs. 1.5 lakh cr has been incurred towards this since 2021 through convergence with MGNREGS alone. NAQUIM studies have been taken up across the country by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) for delineation and characterisation of aquifers and preparation of plans for ground water management. NAQUIM was initiated as a part of the ‘Ground Water Management and Regulation’ scheme and the entire mappable area of the country of about 25 lakh sq. kms has been mapped. State wise details of coverage area under NAQUIM is presented in Annexure -II. Further, ground water management studies/ plans have been prepared for the entire targeted area across the country covering all the 14 Principal aquifers and 42 major aquifers and District-wise aquifer maps and management plans for 654 Districts of the country, which include both supply side and demand side measures for sustainable management of ground water resources, have been shared with the concerned State/District administrations for taking up suitable field interventions. Moreover, Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by the CGWB and shared with States/UTs providing a broad outline for construction of around 1.42 crore rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country with estimated cost, which has a potential to harness around 185 BCM (Billion cubic meter) of water. The Ministry of Jal Shakti is currently conducting stakeholder consultations for assessing the ground water extraction Guidelines. ‘Water’ being a State subject, sustainable development and management of groundwater resources and address contamination issues is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments. The Central Government, on its part, facilitates the efforts of the State Governments by way of technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. The major steps taken by the government in this direction, for improving ground water conservation and recharge, regulating over-extraction, mitigation of contamination and saltwater intrusion and ensuring long term sustainability of the resource in the country, along with their impact, are provided below: i. Efforts of the Central government for augmenting the water/groundwater resources of the country, are mainly channeled through the flagship campaign of Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA). JSA is a time bound and mission mode programme being conducted annually since 2019 by the M/o Jal Shakti, wherein all the efforts and funds under various schemes and projects are converged to deliver water harvesting and artificial recharge works on the ground. Currently, JSA 2025 is underway in the country with special focus on over-exploited and critical districts. As per the available information, under JSA, completion of around 1.21 crore water conservation and artificial recharge works has been coordinated through convergence in the country in the last 4 years, which has played a key role in enhancing the sustainability of ground water resources. ii. To further strengthen the momentum of Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB): A Community-Driven Path to Water Sustainability in India has been launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister with a vision to make rain water harvesting a mass movement in the country. By promoting community ownership and responsibility, the initiative seeks to develop cost-effective, local solutions tailored to specific water challenges across different regions.iii. M/o Jal Shakti has constituted the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water extraction in the Country and has notified Guidelines dated 24.09.2020 for the purpose of such regulation, which have pan India applicability. Additionally, stringent measures like imposition of heavy penalties & Environmental Compensation Charges (EC) extraction without valid NOC, prohibiting new large-scale industries in over-exploited areas, sealing of bore wells for illegal extraction etc. have been mandated by the Guidelines to regulate over extraction. iv. M/o Jal Shakti has successfully demonstrated the efficacy of community led participatory ground water management through Atal Bhujal Yojana, which was implemented in 80 water stressed districts in 7 States, viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Construction/rejuvenation of more than 83,000 rain water harvesting and recharge structures like check dams, ponds, shafts etc. was completed under the scheme and more than 9 lakh Ha area was brought under efficient irrigation practices. v. Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched by the Government of India which aimed at developing and rejuvenating at least 75 water bodies in each district of the country. As an outcome nearly 69,000 Amrit Sarovars have been constructed/rejuvenated in the country, leading to enhanced water storage and ground water recharge. vi. In addition to conducting extensive aquifer mapping activities throughout the country, CGWB has also prepared the Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020, which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country for serving as a technical guide for construction of artificial recharge and rain water harvesting structures. vii. Regarding ground water quality aspect, CGWB regularly monitors ground water quality samples throughout the country as per its SOP and issues Annual reports, Half-yearly Bulletins and fortnightly alerts regarding its findings for quick action by stakeholders; Technique for constructing Arsenic and Fluoride safe wells has also been developed by CGWB and guidance is provided to states for replication and upscaling; Further, the Government is also implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in partnership with states for providing safe and adequate drinking water to all rural households of the country. viii. Various organizations under this Ministry like National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), CGWB, Central Water Commission (CWC) etc. have conducted independent studies in various parts of the country affected by salinity ingress and saltwater intrusion and made several recommendations like construction of embankments, sea walls, inlet control mechanism at creeks etc. In order to assess the impact of various water conservation interventions on ground water level in the last five years, the post-monsoon 2024 State/UT-wise water level data for the country is compared with the Mean of the previous 5 years (post-monsoon water level data from 2019-23), which is provided in Annexure-III. Such analysis indicates that in the country as a whole, about 54.4 % of analyzed wells showed rising water levels in 2024 as compared to the mean level of previous 5 years. Further, similar analysis for Palghar district (Maharashtra), Nabarangpur district (Odisha) and Pali Lok Sabha Constituency in Rajasthan (covering Pali & Jodhpur Districts) is presented in Annexure -IV, which indicates that in Palghar District of Maharashtra 80% analyzed wells have shown rise in 2024 as compared with the mean of previous 5 years, in Nabarangpur district of Odisha, 25% of wells and have shown rise and in Jodhpur & Pali districts under Pali Lok Sabha Constituency, respectively 68.9% & 81.25% of wells have shown rising trends .The information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. *** ND ANNEXURE-I STATE-WISE GROUND WATER RESOURCES OF INDIA, 2025 S. States / Union Total Annual Annual Annual GW Stage of No. Territories Ground Water Extractable Extraction for Ground Recharge (in Ground Water all uses (in Water BCM) Resource (in BCM) Extraction BCM) (%) 1 Andhra Pradesh 26.34 25.02 7.88 31.51 2 Arunachal Pradesh 3.69 3.29 0.01 0.41 3 Assam 26.36 20.29 2.93 14.45 4 Bihar 34.51 31.32 14.47 46.20 5 Chhattisgarh 14.30 13.07 6.30 48.18 6 Goa 0.38 0.31 0.07 23.30 7 Gujarat 27.58 25.61 14.33 55.95 8 Haryana 10.27 9.30 12.72 136.75 9 Himachal Pradesh 1.12 1.01 0.39 38.50 10 Jharkhand 6.15 5.63 1.85 32.89 11 Karnataka 19.27 17.41 11.58 66.49 12 Kerala 5.45 4.93 2.46 49.95 13 Madhya Pradesh 36.07 34.15 20.26 59.32 14 Maharashtra 33.89 31.99 16.57 51.79 15 Manipur 0.44 0.40 0.04 9.0916 Meghalaya 1.84 1.54 0.08 5.24 17 Mizoram 0.21 0.19 0.01 4.03 18 Nagaland 0.55 0.50 0.02 4.72 19 Odisha 17.44 16.02 7.81 48.75 20 Punjab 18.60 16.80 26.27 156.36 21 Rajasthan 12.87 11.62 17.10 147.11 22 Sikkim 0.24 0.22 0.01 5.87 23 Tamil Nadu 22.61 20.46 15.04 73.50 24 Telangana 21.93 19.84 9.26 46.69 25 Tripura 1.53 1.24 0.12 10.06 26 Uttar Pradesh 73.39 66.97 46.89 70.00 27 Uttarakhand 2.13 1.95 1.05 53.92 28 West Bengal 25.85 23.50 10.62 45.19 29 Andaman And 0.38 0.35 0.01 2.27 Nicobar 30 Chandigarh 0.05 0.05 0.03 67.00 31 Dadra and Nagar 0.13 0.12 0.05 40.45 Haveli and Daman and Diu 32 Delhi 0.38 0.35 0.32 92.10 33 Jammu And 2.30 2.07 0.51 24.73 Kashmir 34 Ladakh 0.07 0.06 0.02 30.93 35 Lakshadweep 0.01 0.01 0.00 57.7936 Puducherry 0.19 0.17 0.13 75.98 Grand Total 448.52 407.75 247.22 60.63 *Minor discrepancies in numbers may arise due to rounding off at various levels. ANNEXURE-II State wise areas covered under the NAQUIM studies Sl. State/UT Total Area Area targeted Coverage till No. for coverage March 2023 (Sq.km) (Sq.km) (Sq.km) 1 Andaman & Nicobar UT 8,249 1,774 1,774 2 Andhra Pradesh 1,63,900 1,41,784 1,41,784 3 Arunachal Pradesh 83,743 4,703 4,703 4 Assam 78,438 61,826 61,826 5 Bihar 94,163 90,567 90,567 6 Chandigarh UT 115 115 115 7 Chhattisgarh 1,36,034 96,000 96,000 8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 602 602 602 UT 9 Delhi 1,483 1,483 1,483 10 Goa 3,702 3,702 3,702 11 Gujarat 1,96,024 1,60,978 1,60,978 12 Haryana 44,212 44,179 44,179 13 Himachal Pradesh 55,673 8,020 8,020 14 Jammu & Kashmir UT 1,67,396 9,506 9,506 15 Jharkhand 79,714 76,705 76,70516 Karnataka 1,91,808 1,91,719 1,91,719 17 Kerala 38,863 28,088 28,088 18 Lakshadweep UT 32 32 32 19 Ladakh UT 54,840 963 963 20 Madhya Pradesh 3,08,000 2,69,349 2,69,349 21 Maharashtra 3,07,713 2,59,914 2,59,914 22 Manipur 22,327 2,559 2,559 23 Meghalaya 22,429 10,645 10,645 24 Mizoram 21,081 700 700 25 Nagaland 16,579 910 910 26 Odisha 1,55,707 1,19,636 1,19,636 27 Puducherry UT 479 454 454 28 Punjab 50,368 50,368 50,368 29 Rajasthan 3,42,239 3,34,152 3,34,152 30 Sikkim 7,096 1,496 1,496 31 Tamil Nadu 1,30,058 1,05,829 1,05,829 32 Telangana 1,11,940 1,04,824 1,04,824 33 Tripura 10,492 6,757 6,757 34 Uttar Pradesh 2,46,387 2,40,649 2,40,649 35 Uttarakhand 53,484 11,430 11,430 36 West Bengal 88,752 71,947 71,947 Total 3294105 2514437 2514437ANNEXURE-III State-wise Water Level Fluctuation (in meters) with Mean (Post-Monsoon 2019 to 2023) and post-monsoon 2024 (Unconfined Aquifer) S. State/ No of No. of wells in different fluctuation ranges in meters No. wells UT Name analysed Rise Fall 0 to % 2 % > 4 % 0 to % 2 % > 2 to (m) 2 to (m (m) 4 (m) 4 (m) (m) 1 Andaman & 101 70 69.3 0 0.0 0 0.0 31 30.7 0 0.0 0 Nicobar 2 Andhra 603 288 47.8 49 8.1 22 3.6 200 33.2 29 4.8 13 Pradesh 3 Arunachal 20 12 60.0 2 10.0 0 0.0 6 30.0 0 0.0 0 Pradesh 4 Assam 201 124 61.7 5 2.5 1 0.5 61 30.3 8 4.0 2 5 Bihar 556 125 22.5 16 2.9 3 0.5 347 62.4 53 9.5 8 6 Chandigarh 7 6 85.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 14.3 0 0.0 0 7 Chhattisgarh 761 427 56.1 75 9.9 15 2.0 206 27.1 30 3.9 7 8 Delhi 68 27 39.7 14 20.6 9 13.2 14 20.6 3 4.4 1 9 Goa 73 49 67.1 5 6.8 0 0.0 19 26.0 0 0.0 0 10 Gujarat 598 308 51.5 117 19.6 55 9.2 92 15.4 16 2.7 10 11 Haryana 163 61 37.4 11 6.7 7 4.3 57 35.0 19 11.7 8 12 Himachal 92 23 25.0 1 1.1 2 2.2 57 62.0 5 5.4 4 Pradesh 13 Jammu and 196 56 28.6 1 0.5 1 0.5 124 63.3 9 4.6 4 Kashmir14 Jharkhand 290 144 49.7 18 6.2 6 2.1 100 34.5 19 6.6 2 15 Karnataka 1072 615 57.4 76 7.1 28 2.6 300 28.0 42 3.9 8 16 Kerala 1346 567 42.1 68 5.1 18 1.3 583 43.3 90 6.7 19 17 Madhya 1044 454 43.5 77 7.4 34 3.3 376 36.0 62 5.9 34 Pradesh 18 Maharashtra 1597 812 50.8 154 9.6 42 2.6 481 30.1 81 5.1 20 19 Meghalaya 38 9 23.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 29 76.3 0 0.0 0 20 Nagaland 11 3 27.3 1 9.1 0 0.0 3 27.3 1 9.1 3 21 Odisha 1249 277 22.2 11 0.9 3 0.2 826 66.1 110 8.8 16 22 Puducherry 6 3 50.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 3 50.0 0 0.0 0 23 Punjab 174 43 24.7 9 5.2 4 2.3 74 42.5 30 17.2 13 24 Rajasthan 824 263 31.9 120 14.6 132 16.0 163 19.8 61 7.4 85 25 Tamil Nadu 566 238 42.0 55 9.7 28 4.9 194 34.3 34 6.0 13 26 Telangana 248 93 37.5 32 12.9 15 6.0 83 33.5 18 7.3 7 27 DNH & 11 5 45.5 3 27.3 0 0.0 2 18.2 1 9.1 0 Daman-Diu 28 Tripura 78 56 71.8 4 5.1 0 0.0 17 21.8 0 0.0 0 29 Uttar 421 151 35.9 13 3.1 8 1.9 212 50.4 30 7.1 7 Pradesh 30 Uttarakhand 155 51 32.9 6 3.9 12 7.7 64 41.3 9 5.8 12 31 West Bengal 636 409 64.3 16 2.5 4 0.6 185 29.1 10 1.6 8 Total 13205 5769 43.7 959 7.3 449 3.4 4910 37.2 770 5.8 30 NB.: 44 (0.3%) sites not showing rise or fall. ANNEXURE-IVGround Water Level Fluctuation (in meters) with Mean (Post-Monsoon 2019 to 2023) and Post-Monsoon 2024 (Unconfined Aquifer) for specified Districts S State District No of No./Percentage No. Name Wells of wells showing Anal- fluctuation to water level (m) ysed in the range of Rise Fall 1 to 2 m 2 to 4 m > 4 m 0 to 2 m 2 to 4 No. % No. % No. % No. % No. 1 Rajasthan Jodhpur 45 13 28.9 6 13.3 12 26.7 10 22.2 1 Pali 16 6 37.5 4 25 3 18.8 2 12.5 0 2 Odisha Nabarangpur 20 3 15.0 2 10.0 0 0.0 14 70.0 1 3 Maharashtra Palghar 30 24 80 0 0.0 0 0.0 6 20.0 0 ***** (रलीज़ आईडी: 2206073) आगंतुक पटल : 718 इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: ही , Tamil