Groundwater Resources Assessment 2025
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), in collaboration with State Governments and UT Administrations, has completed the Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment for 2025. The assessment estimates the total Annual Ground Water Recharge at 449 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM), with Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource at 408 BCM. The Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses stands at 247 BCM, representing groundwater consumption. Of this total extraction, 215 BCM (87%) is allocated to irrigation, 28 BCM (11%) for domestic purposes including drinking water, and 4 BCM (2%) for industrial purposes.
The Stage of Ground Water Extraction, calculated as the ratio of Annual Ground Water Extraction to Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource, is 60.63% at the national level. Nine States/UTs exceed this national average: Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Karnataka. At the district level, 281 districts have extraction stages higher than the national average.
Water Availability and Quality
According to the Assessment of Water Resources of India, 2024 by the Central Water Commission, the estimated average annual per capita water availability for 2021 was 1,573.19 cubic metres.
Groundwater quality monitoring indicates that water is generally potable across the country, with approximately 99% of monitoring stations showing suitability for irrigation use. The Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 reveals localized contamination issues. Specific monitoring in Bihar showed that out of 584 groundwater samples analyzed, Electrical Conductivity exceeded permissible limits in 5 samples, fluoride in 39 samples, and nitrate in 78 samples.
Government Initiatives and Programs
Multiple initiatives support groundwater management and quality improvement. The National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM 1.0) has covered approximately 25 lakh square kilometers, including 90,567 sq km in Bihar. NAQUIM 2.0, focusing on priority areas, covered 143 study areas spanning 76,857 sq km during 2023-24 to 2025-26, including five high-resolution mapping areas covering 3,202.94 sq km in Bihar.
CGWB has developed cement-sealing technology for tapping deeper arsenic-safe aquifers, constructing 525 arsenic-safe exploratory wells, including 40 in Bihar.
The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has provided tap water connections to 15.90 crore rural households, covering approximately 82% of rural households nationally. In Bihar, coverage reaches 1.60 crore households (95.71%).
Water conservation efforts under Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) have undertaken over 2 crore water conservation and artificial recharge works nationwide, including approximately 5.75 lakh works in Bihar. Jal Shakti Kendras (JSKs) serve as district-level resource centers for technical guidance.
The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative launched in 2024 has constructed over 1.55 crore artificial groundwater recharge and water-storage works, including around 7.26 lakh works in Bihar. JSJB-Catch the Rain (JSJB-CTR) was subsequently launched on 1 June 2026 to further promote rainwater harvesting.
Mission Amrit Sarovar has developed or rejuvenated nearly 69,000 water bodies nationally, with 2,613 in Bihar.
The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), implemented since 2015-16, supports irrigation access and water conservation through its Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies schemes. The Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component improves farm-level water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation.