GURUGRAM: Haryana has become India’s third most groundwater-stressed state, with 88 assessment units labeled as overexploited, making up 61.5% of its groundwater blocks, according to data from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) presented to the NGT. The NGT has criticized states for ineffective enforcement against illegal extraction and insufficient recharge efforts, prompting a broader review.
The CGWA report indicates that only Punjab, with 75.1% of its groundwater units overexploited, and Rajasthan at 70.9%, perform worse than Haryana. Following Haryana are Delhi (41.2%), Tamil Nadu (33.87%), Karnataka (18.99%), and Uttar Pradesh (7.06%).
During a suo motu hearing on Thursday, the NGT pointed out significant nationwide shortcomings in addressing groundwater depletion. The panel, comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert members Dr. A. Senthil Vel and Dr. Afroz Ahmad, noted that states and union territories had not taken adequate measures to curb illegal groundwater extraction and ensure recharge in critical areas.
The order issued on Monday highlighted that, although the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s groundwater regulation guidelines and CGWA’s standard operating procedures exist, they have not been implemented effectively.
Despite the Haryana Water Resources (Conservation, Regulation and Management) Authority Act of 2020, which prohibits most new industrial groundwater extraction in overexploited zones and forbids new packaged water or water-intensive industries, significant implementation gaps persist.
The government informed the tribunal that by June 27, 2025, it had issued 1,850 show-cause notices to various sectors including industries, restaurants, dhabas, banquet halls, resorts, and RO plants for violations. Out of these, 413 cases were resolved, approximately 155 units have sought compliance, nearly 100 voluntarily shut their borewells, and around 100 cases were referred for sealing. Environmental compensation charges totaled ₹4.88 crore.
In contrast, Uttar Pradesh had 59 overexploited units, representing 7.06% of total blocks, and issued 21,300 notices for illegal extraction, sealing 111 borewells.
To tackle the crisis, the NGT emphasized the need for effective compliance with guidelines and remediation of groundwater over-extraction to promote recharge.
A five-member expert committee has been established, including representatives from the National Geophysical Research Institute, Geological Survey of India, the environment ministry, IIT Roorkee, and CGWA, which will serve as the nodal agency.
The committee is responsible for identifying state-specific shortcomings, recommending measures to curb over-extraction in critically scarce zones, and devising general and localized groundwater recharge strategies within three months, prior to the next hearing on August 25, 2026.
