Parliament Question: Groundwater Extraction by High-Rise Apartments

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6277 ANSWERED ON 02.04.2026 GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION BY HIGH-RISE APARTMENTS †6277. SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has assessed the declining groundwater levels in view of increasing pressure on groundwater resources due to domestic use in high-rise apartments across the country and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government proposes to strengthen water conservation initiatives and groundwater recharge programmes under schemes like Atal Bhujal Yojana and other groundwater management initiatives to ensure sustainable water availability and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the large-scale groundwater extraction is taking place for domestic use in high-rise apartments in Delhi and adjoining districts such as Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram and Sonipat and if so, the details thereof; and (d) the restrictions imposed by the Government to prevent depletion of groundwater levels in these areas? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) Ground water level monitoring is conducted on a regular basis by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under this Ministry and respective State Governments. Analysis of data on ground water levels recorded by CGWB, for the entire country, indicates that about 73.25 % of the wells monitored in the country have registered rise in groundwater level during the post monsoon (November/December) monitoring of 2025 as compared to decadal mean ground water level of previous ten years (2015-24). Further, assessment of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country is being carried out annually since 2022 by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in coordination with the State governments. Perusal of assessment data over the years indicates that the total annual groundwater recharge in the country has increased from 432 BCM in 2017 to 448.52 BCM in 2025. Further, the share of Safe assessment units has increased from 62.6% to 73.14%, while Over-exploited units have declined from 17.2% to 10.8% over the same period, indicating an overall improvement in groundwater status. However, despite favourable conditions in the country as a whole, some pockets may be experiencing seasonal ground water stress due to various factors like high population density, rapid urbanization and industrialization, dependence on water intensive crops, inefficient irrigation practices, climate change etc. 1(b) ‘Water’ being a State subject, sustainable development and management of water and groundwater resources is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments. However, the Central Government facilitates the efforts of the State Governments by way of technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects including under Atal Bhujal Yojana and other groundwater management initiatives. The major steps taken in this direction, including the latest initiatives are provided below: i. Efforts of the Government for augmenting the water/groundwater resources of the country are mainly channeled through the flagship campaign of Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), an annual mission mode programme for taking up water harvesting and artificial recharge activities. As per the available information under JSA, more than 2 cr water conservation and artificial recharge works have been taken up through convergence in the country so far, which has played a key role in enhancing the sustainability of ground water resources. ii. To further strengthen the momentum of JSA, Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative has been launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2024 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. Thus far, more than 50 lakh rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures have been constructed across the country under this initiative. iii. To further boost the water conservation efforts, under the ‘National Initiative on Water Security’, it has been decided to spend at least 65% of MGNREGS funds on water conservation works in Over-Exploited (OE) and Critical Blocks of the country and 40% in Semi-critical Blocks and 30% in Safe Blocks and the scheme provisions have been amended to that effect. 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 8,203 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 Blocks across 7 States, viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, community led preparation of Water Budgets (WBs) and Water Security Plans (WSPs) was completed and annually updated for all covered GPs. Further, construction/rejuvenation of more than 83,000 rain water harvesting and recharge structures like check dams, ponds, shafts etc. was done under the scheme and an area of more than 9.7 lakh Hectares was brought under efficient irrigation practices like use of drips, sprinklers etc. As a result, 180 out of 229 Blocks have shown improvement in ground water levels during the assessments conducted between 2023 to 2025. 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. 2vi. Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA & FW) is implementing Per Drop More Crop Scheme since 2015-16, which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation leading to conservation of ground water. vii. After the successful completion of NAQUIM 1.0, which mapped country's aquifers and provided a macro-level understanding of our nation's groundwater resources, the Central Ground Water Board has embarked upon NAQUIM 2.0, focusing on water stressed and quality affected pockets. Under NAQUIM 2.0 state-of-the-art technologies are harnessed, for generating highly detailed, scientific data which serve as an important tool for making informed decisions for sustainable groundwater management. viii. CGWB has also prepared the Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 for the entire country and shared with States/UTs, for serving as a technical guidebook for construction of rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures. (c) & (d) The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti is involved in regulation of ground water extraction at the central level. Apart from that, 17 States/UTs, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and NCT of Delhi are having their own regulatory mechanism/bodies. CGWA issues No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for ground water extraction in 19 States/UTs for various purposes in accordance with its Guidelines dated 24.09.2020. As per the Guidelines, ground water extraction charges are levied on various projects, including industries and residential apartments/group housing societies, as per the prescribed quantum linked slabs, subject to compliance of stipulated conditions. CGWA has also been taking stringent measures including imposition of heavy penalties and Environmental Compensation (EC) charges for illegal extraction of ground water and even resorting to sealing of bore wells in fitting cases. As per the data available with CGWA, ground water extraction for domestic purposes is 71.88% of the total ground water extraction in Delhi; 15.62 % in Ghaziabad; 3.21% in G.B.Nagar; 18.60% in Faridabad; 11.81% in Gurugram and 13.24% in Sonepat. The figures represent the total ground water extraction for domestic purposes including high rise apartments. The CGWA Guidelines stipulates that NOC for residential apartments/group housing societies shall be granted only in such cases where the local Government water supply agency is unable to supply requisite amount of water in the area. Further, installation of digital water flow meters in all wells extracting ground water is mandatory for all Residential Apartments and Group Housing Societies. Moreover, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has formulated Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 for the States/UTs, wherein adequate focus has been given on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 Sq.m. or more shall mandatorily include the complete proposal of rainwater harvesting and as informed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the same is being followed in Delhi. ***** 3