(Feature Image: A pit full of untreated effluents in Drain No. 8 in Sonipat, Haryana in Oct. 2025. Credit: SANDRP)

The annual overview compiling media reports on groundwater situation in India highlights that the crisis is only deepening across the country. Most of the reports are based on CGWB’s Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 revealing a dangerous mix of over-extraction and rising contamination. In agrarian states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, groundwater use far exceeds recharge, driven largely by water-intensive crops and subsidized electricity. Punjab alone extracts over 150% of its annual recharge, with most districts now classified as overexploited. Even above-normal rainfall in states like Rajasthan has failed to restore aquifers, pointing to structural failures in recharge and water management.

Continue reading “Groundwater 2025: Depletion and Contamination Rising” →