Groundwater Levels

13-15% of groundwater samples in India contaminated with uranium: CGWB

The Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, which was made public on Friday, has indicated that 13 to 15 per cent of the total collected water samples have uranium contamination. Released under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Central Ground Water Board's (CGWB) report is based on around 15,000 samples collected across India in 2024. It revealed that of the 86 monitored locations in Delhi, on several parameters, the samples exceeded Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water limits. "Overall, the study shows that while most groundwater in India is safe, certain regions face rising uranium levels, emphasising the need for regular monitoring and local mitigation measures to protect drinking water quality and health, the report said. It added that of the 83 total samples analysed, 24 were found to be exceeding uranium parameters, which is roughly around the range of 13.35 per cent and 15.66 per cent of the total samples collected. In its latest report on groundwater quality, sam

Groundwater in Punjab, Haryana contaminated with uranium, arsenic: Report

The Central Ground Water Board report attributes the rising uranium levels to leaching from agricultural land. Intensive use of fertilisers has exacerbated the problem

Groundwater extraction in Delhi reduced from 127% to 99% in 2023: CGWA

The Central Ground Water Authority has informed the National Green Tribunal that groundwater extraction in the national capital has reduced from 127 per cent in 2013 to 99 per cent in 2023. Earlier, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had taken suo motu cognisance of a PTI report regarding a UN study predicting that several parts of the country could experience critically low groundwater availability by 2025. It had also sought a response from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). In its action-taken report dated January 1, the CGWA said that along with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), it took several steps to increase groundwater levels, such as promoting artificial recharge, rainwater harvesting, sustainable agricultural practices, and community participation. "On reviewing the comparison of state-wise resource assessment reports from 2013 to 2023, it is evident that in most of the states/Union Territories (UTs), the percentage of groundwater extraction has significant

Replacing rice crop could help recover groundwater lost since 2000: Study

Replacing about 40 per cent of the area sown with rice with other crops could help recover 60-100 cubic kilometres of groundwater lost since 2000 in north India, a study has found. Current cropping patterns -- dominated by rice, which relies heavily on groundwater for irrigation -- could result in a loss of about 13-43 cubic kilometres of groundwater if warming of the planet continues, a team of researchers, including those from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, said. The researchers proposed shifting from existing cropping habits by cutting down on cultivating rice as a potential solution for sustaining the fast-depleting resource in a warmer world that threatens food and water security. "Replacing 37 per cent area of rice with other crops can recover 61 to 108 cubic kilometres groundwater compared to 13 to 43 cubic kilometres with current cropping pattern under the 1.5-3 degrees Celsius global warming levels," the authors wrote in the study accepted for ...

Treated water to be filled in Bengaluru lakes to replenish groundwater

Civic authorities in Bengaluru have decided to fill the drying lakes with 1,300 million litres per day of treated water to replenish groundwater sources in the city, where about 50 per cent of the borewells have dried up. Aimed at managing the water crisis in Bengaluru, the civic body Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will also install filter borewells and construct water plants using an innovative technology near the restored lake beds to supply water after testing, BWSSB officials said. This initiative has been taken up in association with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said, adding that this is expected to add about 2030 MLD of water into the system. The Irrigation Department is supplying water in Devanahalli, where the Kempegowda International Airport is located, by treating the water from the Kote lake with a similar initiative. As part of the plan, lakes in Bellandur, Varthur, Nayandahalli, Herohalli, Attur and Jakkur wi

Patnaik lays foundation stone for in-stream storage project in 13 districts

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday laid the foundation stone for 19 in-stream storage structures worth Rs 4,600 crore in 13 districts of the state. Besides becoming a major tool for flood control management, the structures will help in drinking water supply, fish farming, animal husbandry, and increase the groundwater level and balance the environment, Patnaik said. The structures will be built in Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Khurda, Puri, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundergarh districts. Patnaik said such projects were very important for sustainable development. He said that in 2020, the plan for in-stream storage structures was prepared with an allocation of Rs 11,700 crore. So far, 72 such projects have been undertaken in three phases, he said, adding that no one will be displaced by it. The chief minister also spoke about the various measures taken by his government for the welfare of farmers. "Our programmes like Ka

Groundwater depletion rates could triple in India due to irrigation: Report

Currently, the most overexploited aquifers are in the northwest and south of India, but the study indicates that by 2050 that area may extend to the southwest, the southern peninsula and central India

North India major groundwater depletion hotspot with 95% of country's loss

North India accounts for 95 per cent of the country's groundwater depletion, according to a study which found that rainfall increase in the future will be insufficient to fully recover the already depleted resources. The researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT-GN) also found that groundwater depletion in India will continue until excessive pumping is limited, leading to water sustainability issues in the future. Nonrenewable (unsustainable) pumping has the dominant influence on groundwater storage, causing the water table to drop, they said. "Limiting tube well depth and including extraction costs is beneficial to prevent overexploitation of deep aquifers," said Vimal Mishra, Professor, Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. "Limiting global mean temperature rise within 2 degrees Celsius can benefit groundwater storage in North India," Mishra told PTI. The study, published recently in the journal One Earth, analysed data from the Central ...

NGT seeks facts on petition claiming illegal groundwater usage in Haryana

The National Green Tribunal has sought a factual report from a panel on alleged illegal extraction of groundwater by Mitsui Kingzoku Components India Pvt Ltd in the industrial town of Bawal in Rewari District of Haryana. The NGT was hearing a petition claiming the project proponent (PP) was violating the conditions of the Central Ground Water Authority's (CGWA's) no objection certificate (NOC) specifying the quantity of groundwater to be extracted and that the CGWA had already categorised the area as 'over exploited'. A bench of Chairperson Justice A K Goel noted that according to the petition, the tribunal's earlier order in November last year directing the CGWA to take remedial action against non-compliance by the PP, including recovery of compensation equal to 0.5% of the project cost, was not followed. The bench, also comprising Judicial Members Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi along with Expert Member A Senthil Vel said, "We find it necessary to require a ...

Groundwater report waters down aquifer-level data, say experts

Assessment units too large in size and too few in number to present micro-level picture, they say

Alarming dip in groundwater of Ganga basin as dry days rise: Official

The official testified to the panel that Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal have been witnessing decreasing number of low-intensity rainfalls which is not favourable for the recharge

We have severely underinvested in waste water treatment: Veena Srinivasan

According to a NITI report, 21 cities in India will run out of groundwater which will affect 100 million people. Veena Srinivasan, a water expert, tells us what is India's problem with regard to water

Saving India's groundwater

Tubewells, which were once seen as the solution to India's water problem, have tragically ended up becoming the main cause of water crisis

Groundwater level 'over-exploited' in 16% talukas, mandals and blocks: Govt

The over exploitation of the groundwater was highest in the states of Punjab (76%) and Rajasthan (66%), followed by Delhi (56%) and Haryana (54%)

Every drop counts

New groundwater-extraction guidelines are inadequate

Water level in 91 major reservoirs dips to 51% of capacity

The stock was 127% of the storage reported during the corresponding period last year

Scientists use satellite data to calculate groundwater levels

The technique could lead to better models of groundwater flow