Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report, 2024:
Geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps).he Union Minister of Jal Shakti has released the Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report, 2024, showing a net improvement in groundwater status with higher recharge and lower long-term extraction compared to 2017.
Key trends of ground water resources in India:
- Total annual groundwater recharge is 446.90 BCM, showing a long-term rise driven by rainwater harvesting and water conservation structures.
- Annual groundwater extraction stands at 245.64 BCM, with the stage of extraction at 60.47%, indicating overall national-level sustainability.
- 73.4% of assessment units are now categorised as Safe, up from 62.6% in 2017, reflecting improved management practices.
- Over-exploited units have fallen from 17.24% (2017) to 11.13% (2024), indicating partial reversal of groundwater stress.
- Recharge from tanks, ponds and water conservation structures has increased to 25.34 BCM, nearly doubling since 2017.
- Over-exploited and critical units remain concentrated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Gujarat.
- Nearly 61% of recharge comes from rainfall, making groundwater availability highly sensitive to monsoon variability and climate change.
