Groundwater extraction worst in Pb, Hry close 3rd

Bathinda: Groundwater depletion continues to be a cause for concern in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, as the three states are the only ones in India where groundwater extraction is more 100%. The nation average is 60%.
The recently released Ground Water Resources Assessment for 2022 points the situation in Punjab being the most critical, with the agrarian state being the worst off in extracting underground water at 166% of its extractable groundwater resources. Punjab has 76% groundwater blocks which are overexploited, Rajasthan has 72% and Haryana has 61%.

As per the groundwater assessment report, Punjab has annual extractable groundwater resources of 17.07 billion cubic metres (BCM). The recharge is 18.94 BCM, while the extraction turned out to be 28.02 BCM. This is 165.99% of extractable resources. Also, 117 of the 153 (including three urban blocks) groundwater blocks were overexploited. This is 76.47% of total blocks.
Of 28.02 BCM, 26.69 BCM is extracted for irrigation purpose. Domestic extraction was recorded at 1.17 BCM (4.18%) and extraction for industrial sector was recorded at 0.16 BCM, which turns out to be a meagre 0.57% of the total extraction.
Only some days ago, the Punjab government decided to make water extraction in industrial sector to be chargeable. The allocation for domestic water has been assessed at 1.19 BCM in the state in the year 2025.
In Rajasthan, annual extractable groundwater resources stand at 10.96 BCM, the recharge is 12.13 BCM and extraction is 16.56 BCM. The extration is 151.07% of extractable resources. The state has 219 blocks, of the total 302, which are overexploited.
In Haryana the annual extractable groundwater resources have been assessed at 8.61 BCM. The water recharge is 9.48 BCM, while extraction is 12.42 BCM. going by this, extraction is 134.14% of extractable resource. Of the state’s 143 water blocks, 88 are overexploited, making up 61.54% of total blocks.
In the entire country, extractable resources, as per 2022 report, have been assessed at 398.08 BCM and the extraction has been recorded at 239.16 BCM, while the recharge is 437.60 BCM. The extraction rate is 60.08%.
Despite the underground water turning scarcer, there is no perceptible change in paddy growing in these three states. Haryana and Rajasthan witnessed an increase in area under paddy in 2022 as compared to previous year. In Punjab, area under paddy was recorded at 31.33 lakh hectares (31.45 LH in 2021). In Haryana, it was 14.58 LH (13.64 LH). In Rajasthan, it was 2.28 LH (1.94 LH).