While the serious issue of rapidly depleting water table demands immediate attention and implementation of sustainable water management practices to secure water resources for the future, the respective governments of both the states have done little to address this serious issue. This could potentially lead the region to a severe water crisis.
Based on water level data collected by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in May 2023 and compared with the decadal (2013-2022) average for the same month, the situation worsens significantly in Punjab where the rate of replenishment is less than extraction. Most of the tested wells showed lower water levels as compared to the average level observed during the same month of the last decade (2013-2022).
Of the 62 wells tested in five districts of Punjab—Patiala (16), Ludhiana (14), Jalandhar (13), Amritsar (12) and Mohali (7), four showed high water deficit rates. According to information provided by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in the current session of the Lok Sabha in response to a question by Bhartrihari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the recharge rate in the districts has been exceeded. The data revealed that the water level went down by 0-2 m in 24 wells, 2-4 m in 10 wells and more than 4 m in 8 wells, while a rise of 0-2 m in 16 wells, 2-4 m and above was recorded in 3 wells. More than 4m in 1 well.
In the neighboring state of Haryana, 22 (41.50%) out of 53 wells tested in Ambala (35), Yamunanagar (15) and Faridabad (3) showed a decline in groundwater level. 15 wells recorded a drawdown between 0-2 m, while 3 wells recorded a drawdown of 2-4 m and 4 wells more than 4 m.
The Ministry informed the House that the ground water level in urban areas of some parts of the country is depleting due to erratic rainfall, increase in population, increasing demand for fresh water for various uses due to industrialization and urbanisation.
Since water is a state subject, efforts for effective rainwater harvesting including sustainable groundwater management are under the mandate of the states, however, the central government has also taken some steps. The central government is preparing to implement the Atal Bhujal Yojana in water-stressed areas of several states, which includes Haryana. It aims to manage demand through scientific methods involving local communities at the village level.