India, the world’s largest groundwater user, faces a deepening crisis due to unchecked extraction, weak regulation, and distorted subsidies. Despite CGWA and Atal Bhujal Yojana, depletion persists. Sustainable solutions need demand-side management, stronger laws, and community-led, decentralised groundwater governance.
Click to View MoreUnchecked groundwater extraction is sinking major cities, weakening infrastructure and heightening flood and saltwater risks. India must urgently regulate borewells, enforce rainwater harvesting, and adopt integrated, science-based water governance with community participation to safeguard urban stability and secure its most vital resource—groundwater.
Click to View MoreThe Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) reported that nearly 20% of groundwater samples exceeded permissible pollutant limits, increasing chronic disease risks. Key contaminants include nitrates (over half of districts), fluoride (over 9% of samples), arsenic, and uranium, found in various regions like Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, along with other heavy metals.
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