Parliament Question: Groundwater Extraction in Punjab

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1923 ANSWERED ON 11.12.2025 GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION IN PUNJAB 1923. SMT. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that Punjab has the highest rate of groundwater extraction in the country with over 75 per cent of its blocks classified as overexploited and groundwater extraction reaching 156 per cent and if so, the details thereof; (b) the steps taken by the Government to address the widespread contamination of groundwater in Punjab with toxic substances such as arsenic, fluoride and uranium as reported in several districts; (c) whether the Government has conducted any studies or assessments on the impact of declining groundwater levels and increasing salinity on agricultural productivity and public health in Punjab and if so, the details and the key findings thereof; and (d) the measures being implemented to promote sustainable irrigation practices in Punjab in view of the heavy reliance on tubewells and the reduction in canal-irrigated area? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) 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 for the state of Punjab is 18.60 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) and the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resources is estimated as 16.80 BCM. Further, total Annual Ground Water Extraction in Punjab in 2025 has been assessed as 26.27 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 156.36% for the state of Punjab. Further, 111 (72.55%) blocks out of 153 in Punjab have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’ where total annual ground water extraction exceeds the extractable ground water resources. Additionally, 10 Blocks are in critical, 15 in Semi-critical and 17 in Safe category. However, groundwater being a replenishable resource which gets recharged every year through rainfall and other sources, with judicious regulation of extraction and large-scale conservation measures, the situation can be improved over time. 1(b) CGWB generates groundwater quality data on a regional scale across the country, including for the state of Punjab, under its groundwater quality monitoring programme and other scientific studies conducted by it as per the approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). As per the Annual Ground Water Quality report 2025, localized occurrence of Arsenic, Fluoride and Uranium in ground water in excess of the limits prescribed for drinking water use has been reported in some isolated pockets of Punjab. Water is a State subject and the responsibility of taking initiatives to mitigate ground water contamination lies primarily with the state governments. However, to complement the efforts of the state governments, several steps have been taken by the Central Government to address these issues across the country, including Punjab. Some of the important ones are mentioned below:- i. The ground water quality data generated by CGWB including that for heavy metal contamination, is regularly disseminated through Annual Reports, Half-yearly Bulletins and Fortnightly Alerts for quick action by the stakeholders. ii. In order to enhance monitoring efficiency, a new Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for Groundwater Quality Monitoring has been adopted by CGWB, which stipulates more frequent and denser sampling, particularly in vulnerable areas, to ensure a more comprehensive assessment of groundwater quality. iii. CGWB has also developed an innovative cement sealing technology for tapping deeper Arsenic free aquifers in the Arsenic affected areas and has so far successfully constructed 525 Arsenic safe exploratory wells and is also providing technical assistance to state departments for taking up similar constructions. iv. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal, being implemented by this Ministry in partnership with states, marks an important milestone for providing contamination free potable tap water to every rural household of the country in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis. Several water quality safety measures including setting up of an extensive network of testing labs, distribution of Field Testing Kits (FTKs), installation of community water purifier plants in affected habitations etc. have been taken up under JJM. v. Improvement in ground water quality can also be achieved to some extent by taking up artificial recharge of contaminated aquifers, which dilutes the contaminants to reduce their adverse effects. Accordingly, Ministry of Jal Shakti and other central ministries are implementing several programmes towards this end like the annual Jal Shakti Abhiyan campaign, Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative, PMKSY and MGNREGS schemes etc. (c) CGWB regularly monitors the ground water levels and quality throughout the country, including Punjab, as per its mandate. Moreover, under the National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM) Phase 1.0, aquifer mapping for the entire mappable area of the country, including Punjab, has been carried out and 2district-wise ground water management plans have been shared with state/district administrations for taking up suitable field interventions. In the NAQUIM study reports, the problem of ground water depletion and quality issues like salinity in affected pockets has been addressed and suitable supply and demand side measures for remediation like construction of rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures, increasing the area under micro-irrigation, crop diversification etc. have been recommended. Similarly, several remedial measures for mitigation of ground water contamination issues like identifying and tapping safer aquifers for drinking water use, various techniques for local water purification etc. have also been suggested for preventing adverse impact on public health. (d) The government has taken up several important measures, as summarized below, for reducing dependence on ground water, encouraging conjunctive use with surface water and promoting sustainable irrigation practices in the country, including Punjab. i. Under various components of the umbrella Scheme of PMKSY like Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR), Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) etc. the M/o Jal Shakti provides assistance to states, including Punjab for reviving/restoring traditional water bodies and enhancing irrigation through smaller surface water projects like tanks, check dams, and lift irrigation, benefiting small & marginal farmers. ii. There are three major multipurpose projects viz. Shahpurkandi Dam Project, Kandi Canal Extension Ph-II and Rehabilitation of Ist Patiala Feeder and Kotla Branch Project, which are funded by MoJS under the PMKSY scheme, creating/restoring around 1.52 lakh Ha of irrigation potential benefitting several districts of Punjab. Additionally, Central Assistance is being provided for two Extension, Renovation and Modernization (ERM) projects and one Command Area Development and Water Management (CAD&WM) project as well. iii. Based on the advisories of M/o Jal Shakti to States to review their free/subsidized electricity policy to farmers, bring suitable water pricing policy and to work further towards crop rotation/diversification/other initiatives to reduce over-dependence on groundwater, Department of Agriculture, Punjab is pursuing hard to diversify the acreage under paddy to other less water consuming crops by extending incentives to farmers. iv. Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA & FW), GoI, is implementing Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) Scheme in the country, including Punjab, since 2015-16, which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation and better on-farm water management practices to optimize the use of available water resources. Thus far, an area of around 19,941 Ha in Punjab has been covered under micro-irrigation through PDMC scheme. ***** 3