Haryana, a small agrarian state in northern India is staring at an impending groundwater crisis with more than 60 percent assessment blocks in the state being categorized as ‘overexploited’.
The state stands third in the country in terms of over-exploitation of groundwater resources (blocks) with Punjab (first) and Rajasthan (second), finding their place among worst affected states facing the groundwater crisis, according to the “Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2020” report, recently released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
In Haryana, 60.28 percent assessment units (blocks) out of total 141, are in the ‘overexploited’ category, where the groundwater recharging is far less compared to withdrawal. In Punjab, 78 percent assessment units are categorized as ‘overexploited’ while in Rajasthan, there are 68.81 percent such units.
The report reveals that out of 141 assessment blocks, 85 units are ‘over-exploited’, 12 units (8.51 percent) are ‘critical’, 14 units (9.93 percent) are categorized as ‘semi critical’ and 30 units (21.28 percent) are ‘safe’.
Similarly, out of 40391.12 sq km recharge worthy area of the state, 25035.10 sq km (61.98 percent) area are under ‘over-exploited’ category, 2593.95 sq km (6.42 percent) under ‘critical’, 5203.35 sq km (12.88 percent) under ‘semi-critical’, 7558.72 sq km (18.71 percent) under ‘safe’ categories of assessment units.
Out of total 8629.78 mcm (million cubic meter) annual extractable ground water resources of the state, 5568.92 mcm (64.53 percent) are under ‘over-exploited’, 621.32 mcm (7.2 percent) under ‘critical’, 983.94 mcm (11.4 percent) under ‘semi-critical’ and 1455.59 mcm (16.87 percent) are under ‘safe’ category, the report stated.
It also pointed out that as compared to 2017 assessment, the total annual ground water recharge have decreased from 10.15 to 9.53 bcm (billion cubic meter) in 2020, annual extractable resources have decreased from 9.13 to 8.63 bcm and the annual ground water extraction from 12.5 to 11.61 bcm. The stage of ground water extraction has decreased from 137 percent to 135 percent.
Less than 70 percent groundwater extraction is considered ‘safe’, between 70- 90 percent classified as ‘semi-critical’, between 90- 100 percent is termed as ‘critical’, and when above 100 percent, it is categorized as ‘over exploited’.
Despite Haryana Government's push for lucrative schemes to encourage farmers in paddy-rich areas to grow less water-consuming crops like maize and pulses, the farmers in the state continue to stick to the entrenched paddy-wheat cycle. The paddy, being a water guzzler, is often blamed for the rapid decline in groundwater across the state.
Earlier this year, another report of Central Ground Water Board had stated that the decadal data (2010-2020) indicates a worrying trend with groundwater level declining in 66 percent of wells which covers about 76 percent area of the state falling in all 22 districts.
The water level decline between 2-4m was reported from 12 percent of wells covering 16 percent area of Haryana while decline of more than 4m was observed in 14 percent wells and 26 percent of the area of state covering parts of Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Palwal, Rewari, Gurugram and occurring dominantly in Mahendragarh, Mewat and Faridabad districts, as per the report.
The report had also stated that the groundwater in the southern and western parts comprising Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Mewat, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Faridabad districts is mostly saline and not suitable for drinking purposes.