Ministry of Jal Shakti releases Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2024 | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Ministry of Jal Shakti releases Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2024

Posted 06 Jan 2025

2 min read

Assessment was carried out annually since 2022 by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and States/UTs. 

Key Highlights 

  • Recharge: Total annual groundwater recharge has decreased marginally from 2023 (449BCM) to 446.90 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM). Rainfall contributes to nearly 61 % in this.
  • Extraction: Annual extractable groundwater resources have decreased marginally from 407.21 to 406.19 BCM.
    • Overall stage of groundwater extraction has marginally increased from 59.21 % to 60.47 %.
  • Categories: 
    • Assessment units under Safe Category have increasedmarginally from 2023 (73%) to 73.4 % in 2024.
    • 3.05 % assessment units are Critical.
    • 11.1% assessment units are Over-exploited.
      • Concentration of Over-exploited units: North West (Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Western UP); West (Rajasthan, Gujarat); South (Karnataka, TN, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh).
      • Overexploited: Groundwater extraction exceeding annually replenishable ground water recharge.
      • Critical: Groundwater extraction is between 90-100 % of annual extractable resources available.
      • Safe: Groundwater extraction is less than 70%.

Factors behind Groundwater Depletion

  • Irrigation: Excessive groundwater use for irrigation (>60%), poor irrigation practices like flood irrigation, and cultivation of water intensive crops like rice etc.
  • Recharge: Decreasing groundwater recharge due to loss of vegetation, spatial and temporal variation in rainfall etc.
  • Climate change: Erratic rainfall pattern impacting groundwater recharge.

CGWB 

  • Genesis: Formed in 1970. Apex organization of Ministry of Jal Shakti dealing with ground water and related issues. 
  • Mandate: To develop technologies, implement national policies for the scientific and sustainable development GW resources etc.
  • Tags :
  • Groundwater Extraction
  • Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
  • Dynamic GW Resource Assessment Report 2024
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