- Why in news
- On 29 January 2026, the Jal Shakti Minister told the Lok Sabha that the 2025 Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment by CGWB is complete. It puts the national Stage of Ground Water Extraction at 60.63%.
- What it is
- The Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment is an annual exercise. The Central Ground Water Board does it with State Governments. It estimates recharge, extractable resource and extraction for each assessment unit (block, tehsil or taluka). It then sorts units into Safe, Semi-critical, Critical and Over-exploited categories to guide conservation and regulation.
- Who prepares it
- CGWB prepares the assessment in coordination with State Governments.
- Categories
- Safe is below 70% SoE. Semi-critical is 70-90%, Critical is 90-100%, and Over-exploited is above 100%.
- Trend 2017 to 2025
- Safe units rose from 62.6% to 73.14%. Over-exploited units fell from 17.2% to 10.8%.
- MGNREGS earmark
- Under the National Initiative on Water Security (September 2025), at least 65% of MGNREGS funds in OE and Critical blocks, and 40% in Semi-critical blocks, go to water conservation.
- Regulation
- CGWA's 24.09.2020 guidelines set higher extraction charges and penalties in OCS blocks. New large-scale industries are barred only in OE blocks.
Don’t confuse with CGWB vs CGWA: CGWB is the technical body that assesses and maps groundwater. CGWA is the authority that regulates extraction.
Don’t confuse with Recharge vs extractable resource: Recharge is the total annual addition to groundwater (448.52 BCM). Extractable resource is the part that can be withdrawn (407.75 BCM). SoE uses the extractable figure.
Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.
Why it matters
- The assessment gives a block-level base for targeting recharge, regulation and scheme funds such as MGNREGS.
Problems
- Water is a State subject, so the Centre can only give technical and financial help.
- Some blocks remain Over-exploited, Critical or Semi-critical, and a national average of 60.63% hides local stress.
Way forward
- Prioritise recharge, rainwater harvesting and micro-irrigation in OCS blocks.
- Scale up community-led management on the Atal Bhujal Yojana model, backed by NAQUIM 2.0 aquifer data.
Put in your answer
NAQUIM: Phase 1.0 mapped about 25 lakh sq km of mappable area. District aquifer maps and management plans were shared with local administrations.
Mission Amrit Sarovar: Nearly 69,000 Amrit Sarovars have been built or rejuvenated, adding to water storage and recharge.
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- 2022Prelims Q75Which body was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986?
- 2021Prelims Q62Compare water volume in rivers, lakes, ice caps and groundwater
- 2023Prelims Q76Statements on India's groundwater withdrawal share per UN World Water Report 2022
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Annual CGWB report with categories (Safe below 70%, Semi-critical, Critical, Over-exploited) is useful background; routine annual data, reports are 4% of Prelims.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.