Alarming Groundwater Depletion in Delhi: CGWB Report Reveals Critical Trends

Delhi is currently facing a severe water crisis, with the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) delivering troubling news about the city’s groundwater status. Their latest report indicates a notable decline in both the annual recharge and available groundwater for extraction. In 2023, the CGWB measured Delhi’s net annual groundwater recharge at 0.38 billion cubic meters (bcm), with only 0.34 bcm available for extraction. Alarmingly, 99.1% of this accessible groundwater has already been extracted. This is a slight increase from 2022, where the recharge was 0.41 bcm, with 0.37 bcm available and 0.36 bcm utilized.The report highlights a concerning trend: despite a reduction in groundwater recharge, Delhi has increased its extraction, rising from 98.16% in 2022 to 99.13% in 2023. This growing imbalance underscores the ongoing difficulties in maintaining groundwater levels throughout the city.On a somewhat positive note, the report indicates an improvement in the urban areas classified as ‘safe’ in terms of groundwater levels. In 2023, 15% of Delhi’s assessment units achieved this status, up from 12% the previous year. However, the area deemed ‘critical’ expanded significantly, now covering 35% of Delhi compared to 21% in 2022.Delhi’s groundwater situation is assessed across 34 tehsils, with each unit experiencing varying degrees of stress. As of 2023, 13 tehsils (38%) are classified as ‘over-exploited’, 12 (35%) as ‘critical’, four (12%) as ‘semi-critical’, and five (15%) as ‘safe’. Compared to 2022, there have been some improvements, such as an increase in ‘safe’ tehsils from four to five, a decrease in ‘semi-critical’ areas from eight to four, and a reduction in ‘over-exploited’ tehsils from 15 to 13. However, the number of ‘critical’ areas has risen from seven to 12.