Parliament Question: Groundwater Extraction in Churu District

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2202 ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026 GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION IN CHURU DISTRICT †2202. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the latest assessment published by the Central Ground Water Board has recorded an increase in the number of over-exploited and critical stressed groundwater blocks at the national level;

(b) if so, the details and the number of such groundwater blocks identified in the latest assessment in Rajasthan;

(c) whether district-wise data indicate that the groundwater extraction in the groundwater blocks located in Churu district exceeds the recharge level and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Union budget allocations under schemes such as the Atal Bhujal Yojana and Groundwater Recharging Programmes have been made in accordance with the recorded groundwater stress classifications and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)

(a) Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country are being assessed annually by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in co-ordination with the State Governments. Upon comparison of data between years 2017 and 2025, it is seen that overall ground water situation of the country has steadily improved with percentage of ‘Safe’ Assessment Units (SAUs), which are generally Blocks/Taluks/Tehsils, or valleys in hilly regions) increasing from

62.6% to 73.14% and ‘Over-Exploited’ Units decreasing from 17.2% to 10.8%. Further, ‘Critical’ Units have also declined from 4.5% to 2.97% during this period.

(b) As per the latest assessment report of 2025, for the State of Rajasthan, out of the total 302 Assessment Units

(Blocks), 213 (70.53%) units have been categorized as ‘Over- exploited’ and 23 (7.62%) assessment units have been categorized as ‘Critical’.

The district-wise details of of Over Exploited and Critical Blocks in Rajasthan State as per the Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report, 2025 is accessible through the following link:

https://cgwb.gov.in/cgwbpnm/download/1741#page=242

(c) As per the 2025 assessment, out of 07 assessment units (Blocks) in Churu district, 05 units are categorized as Over-Exploited (where annual ground water extraction exceeds recharge), 01 unit as Safe and 01 unit as Saline.

1(d) Water’ being a State subject, sustainable development and management of water including groundwater resources 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 categorization of blocks based on the dynamic ground water resource assessment enables targeted actions, prioritizing intensive supply and demand measures—like recharge and micro-irrigation—in Over-exploited, Critical, and Semi-critical (OCS) areas, under various ground water conservation and management schemes/programmes of the Government like Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB), Atal Bhujal Yojana, MGNREGS etc.

Importantly, during September, 2025, 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.

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