National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2017

The National Compilation on Dynamic Groundwater Resources of India, 2017 was published by the Central Ground Water Board under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, in July 2019. It provides a state-wise assessment of groundwater resources in India, to monitor the groundwater level and record the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on groundwater resources.The assessment is based on the ‘Ground Water Estimation Committee, 2015’ guidelines set out by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (which, along with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, formed the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2019). The guidelines chart out various factors contributing to the net annual groundwater extractions and recharge.The report states that groundwater accounts for nearly 62 per cent of the water used for irrigation in India, 85 per cent of the water used in rural water supply and 45 per cent in urban water supply. The report assesses 6,881 units (blocks/mandals/talukas/districts/firkas/valleys) and states that groundwater resources, despite being replenishable, have been mined more than the annual replenishment.This 329-page report is divided into eight chapters: Introduction (Chapter 1); Groundwater Estimation Methodology (Chapter 2); Rainfall of India (Chapter 3); Hydrogeological setup of India (Chapter 4); Groundwater level scenario in the country (Chapter 5); Groundwater resources of India (Chapter 6); State wise ground water resources scenario (Chapter 7); and Conclusions (Chapter 8).