India extracts approximately 251 billion cubic metres of groundwater annually — more than any other country in the world. The Central Ground Water Authority's 2026 assessment, covering 6,965 assessment units across India, finds that 1,592 units (22.8%) are now 'over-exploited' and 311 are 'critical', meaning extraction exceeds the annual recharge rate. Twelve states have a majority of their assessment units in these two categories: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, UP, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.
India's Groundwater Crisis — Key Data Points
- 251 BCM extracted annually — highest globally
- 1,592 of 6,965 assessment units are 'over-exploited'
- Bengaluru: groundwater depth fallen from 5m to 40–60m in 30 years
- Chennai: 60% of supply dependent on borewells; depleting at 1.2m/year
- Jaipur: 94% of city's groundwater blocks classified over-exploited (2025)
- Punjab: wheat-rice cropping pattern consumes 1.3x the annual recharge rate
“Bengaluru is not approaching a water crisis. It is in one. The borewells that supplied water five years ago are now dry. The new borewells are 400 feet deep. There is a limit to how deep you can go.”
— T.V. Ramachandra, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc Bengaluru
12
Critical-zone states
251BCM
Annual extraction
8
Cities facing Day Zero risk
22.8%
Over-exploited units
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Kavitha Nair
Environment Correspondent
Kavitha reports on climate, environment and public health from Chennai. She has covered three COP summits.