Improvement in the ground water conditions in 909 assessment units as compared to 2107:Jal Shakti ministry report

Tags: Environment National

Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report 2022

According to the Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report 2022, there has been an improvement in ground water condition in the 909 assessment units of the country as compared to the assessment done in 2017. 

The Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report 2022 was released by the Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 9 November 2022 at New Delhi.  The assessment was carried out jointly by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and with the State and Union Territories.

Such joint exercises between CGWB and the State and Union Territories government were carried out earlier in 1980, 1995, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2020.

India is the largest user of groundwater in the world. Ground water is a major source of drinking water and for irrigation in India.

Highlights of the 2022 report 

  • As per the 2022 assessment report, the total annual ground water recharge for the entire country is 437.60 billion cubic meters (BCM)
  • The annual ground water extraction for the entire country is 239.16 BCM.
  • Out of the total 7089 assessment units in the country, 1006 units have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’.( It means that  the rate at which water is extracted exceeds the rate at which the aquifer is able to recharge))
  • Analysis indicates improvement in ground water conditions in 909 assessment units in the country compared with 2017 assessment data
  • Assessment indicates an overall  increase in ground water recharge

Reason for increase in ground water increase 

According to the report following were the reasons for increase in ground water recharge:

  •  increase in recharge from canal seepage, 
  • return flow of irrigation water and
  •  Recharges from water bodies/tanks & water conservation structures. 

 What is Groundwater?

Groundwater is freshwater (from rain or melting ice and snow) that soaks into the soil and is stored in the tiny spaces (pores) between rocks and particles of soil. 

It is also called subsurface water to distinguish it from surface water, which is found in large bodies like the oceans or lakes or which flows overland in streams.


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