Tag: Sustainable Groundwater Management

Groundwater in India: Judiciary Failing to Resolve Governance Crisis in 2025?
Groundwater

Groundwater in India: Judiciary Failing to Resolve Governance Crisis in 2025?

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(Feature Image: Illustration on deepening groundwater levels in India by Binay, Source: IWP)

This overview tracks the major judicial interventions concerning groundwater conservation and management in India during 2025, highlighting persistent failure to address the gaps in governance. The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) have been criticized for no real action, inadequate data, weak transparency and poor enforcement. The inefficiency of state-level groundwater authorities reflects a deeper systemic failure.

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Groundwater: Govts Actions to Recharge, Regulate in 2025 in India
Groundwater

Groundwater: Govts Actions to Recharge, Regulate in 2025 in India

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(Feature Image: Principal Aquifer Map of India. Credit: CGWB’s Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, Figure 02, Page 09)

This overview highlights the top ten measures undertaken by various governments to protect groundwater in India in 2025. At the central level, the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) has a master plan for artificial recharge, targeting the construction of 1.42 crore structures. As per MoJS, 21 states and UTs have adopted Model Groundwater Management Bill 2020. The MoJS is also piloting pressurized irrigation systems and water accounting technologies to improve efficiency, especially in agriculture, which consumes 87% of extracted groundwater.

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Groundwater: Rising Depletion and Contamination in 2025 in India
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Groundwater: Rising Depletion and Contamination in 2025 in India

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(Feature Image: Spatial Distribution of Uranium in Groundwater – Pre & Post Monsoon, 2024. Credit: CGWB’s Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, Figure 26, Page 49)

This annual overview compiling reports on groundwater situation in India highlights that the contamination and depletion are rising through 2025. Most of the reports are based on Central Ground Water Board’s (CGWB’s) Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025. In NW states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, groundwater use far exceeds recharge, driven largely by water-intensive crops and subsidized electricity. Punjab extracts over 150% of its annual recharge, with most districts now classified as overexploited. Even above-normal rainfall in Rajasthan has failed to restore aquifers, pointing to failures in recharge & water management.

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WWD 2026: Collective Groundwater Conservation Efforts in India
Groundwater · Rural Drinking Water · Water · Water Options

WWD 2026: Collective Groundwater Conservation Efforts in India

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(Feature Image: In Rajasthan’s Chambal, wives of ex-dacoits lead revival of water sources and hope. Source: The Tribune)

On the occasion of World Water Day (WWD) 2026, themed around water and gender, this overview highlights ten stories of collective efforts by communities, experts, and government agencies to conserve groundwater from across India. These examples show how decentralized actions such as reviving wells, recharging aquifers, harvesting rainwater and managing surface water bodies offer simple yet effective alternatives to large-scale infrastructure projects to address the water scarcity. The compilation demonstrates that sustainable groundwater management depends on collective action, local knowledge and active participation of local people.

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