Punjab reports first rise in groundwater levels in decades

Punjab has recorded its first rise in groundwater levels in decades, according to the latest 2026 assessment by the Central Ground Water Board. Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal stated that the state's groundwater development stage has declined from 164% in 2022 to 152.22% in 2026.

The improvement is attributed to the Punjab government's strategy of delivering canal water directly to agricultural fields to conserve groundwater. As a result, annual groundwater extraction has decreased from 28.02 BCM in 2022 to 26.32 BCM in 2026.

Data shows that the number of over-exploited assessment units has dropped from 117 to 110, while safe units have increased from 17 to 20. Additionally, 14 groundwater assessment blocks have seen a change in their categorization compared to 2025, including four blocks that have moved into the Safe category.