Depleting groundwater levels: NGT asks Centre, states, UTs to respond to issue

New Delhi: While taking a suo motu cognisance of a report highlighting depleting groundwater levels in India, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought the response of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), as well as the water resources departments in 19 states and 2 union territories.

According to the UN's findings, certain areas in the Indo-Gangetic basin in India have already surpassed the groundwater depletion tipping point, and the entire northwestern region is anticipated to face critically low groundwater availability by 2025.

India is the world's largest consumer of groundwater, surpassing the combined usage of the United States and China, the report stated.

The northwestern region of India, crucial as the breadbasket for the nation's burgeoning 1.4 billion people, sees Punjab and Haryana producing 50 per cent of the country's rice supply and 85 per cent of its wheat stocks.

The report underlined that 78 per cent of wells in Punjab are considered overexploited, and that the northwestern region as a whole is projected to encounter critically low groundwater availability by 2025.

The matter is listed for further hearing on February 9, 2024.