The survey of these wells was conducted after the 2025 monsoon, a period during which Punjab witnessed some of the worst floods...
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Dr. Vikramjit Singh Sahni has expressed serious concern over the alarming decline in groundwater levels in Punjab.
In a reply to a question raised by him in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Jal Shakti informed that, according to data from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), while nearly 57% of the monitored wells have shown a marginal increase in water levels, a worrying 42% of wells across the state have recorded a decline.
The survey of these wells was conducted after the 2025 monsoon, a period during which Punjab witnessed some of the worst floods in its recent history.
“In order to assess the long-term fluctuation in groundwater levels, water-level data collected by the CGWB for Punjab during the post-monsoon period (2025) has been compared with the decadal mean of post-monsoon levels (November data from 2015 to 2024), as presented in the annexure. Such analysis indicates that approximately 57% of the monitored wells have registered a rise in groundwater levels,” the Minister of State for Jal Shakti stated in his reply.
Despite this, it remains a matter of grave concern that groundwater levels in 9% of wells across the state have fallen to depths exceeding 40 metres. The situation is particularly severe in agriculturally important districts such as Sangrur (100%), Barnala (67%), and Patiala (44%), as well as Moga and Malerkotla, where water tables are critically low.
Even in urban districts like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Bathinda, most wells now fall within the 10–40 metre depth range, indicating unsustainable extraction of groundwater.
Dr. Sahni stated that it is deeply unfortunate that despite clear evidence of groundwater stress and repeated appeals by the Punjab government, the state has never been included under the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a flagship programme aimed at addressing water scarcity in stressed regions.
Appealing to the central government, Dr. Sahni urged the immediate announcement of a Punjab-specific groundwater rejuvenation and crop diversification package, warning that continued policy neglect could push the state towards an irreversible water crisis.
