Groundwater depletion in the Delhi region

High severity. Serious, widespread effects requiring sustained action. Severity is descriptive editorial metadata summarising documented effects. It is not a measured index or a score.

1. 01

   Extraction exceeding recharge

   Annual withdrawal from aquifers is greater than the volume naturally replenished.

2. 02

   Sealed recharge surfaces

   Paving and building over open ground prevents rainfall from infiltrating to the water table.

3. 03

   Gaps in piped supply

   Where the network is intermittent or absent, users install private borewells.

1. 01

   Falling water tables

   Water must be pumped from greater depth, raising energy use and cost.

2. 02

   Water quality deterioration

   Deeper extraction can mobilise naturally occurring contaminants and increase salinity.

3. 03

   Reduced drought resilience

   A depleted aquifer provides less buffer when surface supplies are stressed.

1. Managed aquifer recharge

   Engineered recharge structures, restored water bodies and rainwater harvesting.

   Expected effectReturns water to the aquifer where geology and water quality allow.

2. Metering and extraction regulation

   Licensing and monitoring of borewells, particularly for commercial users.

   Expected effectSlows depletion where enforcement is effective.

3. Reliable piped supply and leak reduction

   Improving network coverage and reducing distribution losses so users do not depend on private wells.

   Expected effectReduces the underlying demand for groundwater.

Assessment category

Over-exploited units

India's Central Ground Water Board has repeatedly classified much of Delhi's assessment area as over-exploited, meaning extraction exceeds annual recharge.

1. [1]National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of IndiaCentral Ground Water Board, Indiacgwb.gov.in(opens in a new tab)

Links open the publishing organisation's site. Some point to the publisher's main page, where the named report or dataset can be found.