Even though India’s groundwater situation has improved overall since 2017, the latest official assessment showed signs of renewed stress in several states.
Event Context
At the same time, several water-stressed states showed improvement. Rajasthan’s stage of groundwater extraction fell by 2.75 percentage points, Kerala by 3.84, Delhi by 8.67, Karnataka by 1.95, Maharashtra by 1.20 and Punjab by 0.51, although Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan continue to extract groundwater far in excess of annual recharge. In 2025, Punjab’s stage of groundwater extraction stood at 156.36%, Rajasthan’s at 147.11% and Haryana’s at 136.75%, among the highest in the country.
The reply also revealed that of the country’s 6,762 assessment units—blocks, taluks or mandals used for groundwater evaluation—730 (10.8%) were classified as “over-exploited”, where groundwater extraction exceeds annually replenishable recharge. Another 201 units were categorised as “critical”, where groundwater extraction is close to the sustainable limit and continued overuse could push them into the over-exploited category. 758 units were classified as “semi-critical”, indicating rising groundwater stress that requires careful management, while 4,946 units were considered “safe”, with groundwater extraction remaining well within annual recharge. An additional 127 units were classified as saline, where groundwater quality is affected by high salinity and is generally unsuitable for many uses.
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According to a Rajya Sabha reply tabled on Monday, groundwater extraction increased in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir in 2025 compared with 2024, even as the national stage of groundwater extraction remained lower than 2017 levels.
The comparison is made with 2017 as it serves as the baseline for tracking long-term changes in groundwater use before the Centre rolled out a series of water conservation and groundwater recharge initiatives, including the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana and Catch the Rain campaign. The annual assessment, carried out jointly by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and state governments, measures the stage of groundwater extraction—the share of available groundwater that is withdrawn in a year. A figure above 100% means more groundwater is being pumped out than is naturally replenished through rainfall and other sources, making its use unsustainable over time.
According to the reply, the national stage of groundwater extraction stood at 60.63% in 2025, marginally higher than 60.48% recorded in 2024 but lower than 63.33% in 2017. However, the state-wise comparison showed a mixed picture. Himachal Pradesh registered the sharpest increase in groundwater extraction, with its stage of extraction rising by 3.02 percentage points over 2024. Jammu & Kashmir recorded an increase of 2.46 percentage points, followed by Assam (1.84), Gujarat (1.75), Andhra Pradesh (1.67) and Jharkhand (1.46). Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Chhattisgarh and Bihar also recorded increases over the previous year.
