88 Haryana blocks ‘over-exploited’ as groundwater quality worsens

The Haryana Government admitted in the Vidhan Sabha today that groundwater quality is deteriorating and the water table is depleting rapidly due to excessive exploitation.

Category No. of blocks

Over-exploited 88

Critical 11

Semi-critical 8

Safe 36

During a short-duration discussion on groundwater quality, raised by 11 Opposition MLAs, Rohtak Congress MLA BB Batra highlighted that Haryana has the highest number of districts in India where electrical conductivity values exceed permissible limits. "Six out of the top 15 districts with the worst conductivity levels are in Haryana — Sirsa, Hisar, Bhiwani, Sonepat, Jind and Gurugram," he said.

Former Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal attributed groundwater contamination to excessive fertiliser use. Nuh Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed cited the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2024 report, stating that groundwater in several districts contains uranium, arsenic, chloride and fluoride beyond permissible limits. “Southern districts have brackish groundwater… Extreme salinity has been found in Nuh. Groundwater is neither fit for drinking nor irrigation… Cancer cases are rising,” he warned.

Replying to the discussion, Irrigation and Water Resources Department (I&WRD) Minister Shruti Choudhry acknowledged that reports from Haryana’s Ground Water Cell and the CGWB consistently show declining groundwater quality. "This deterioration has been occurring over decades," she said.

Choudhry pointed out that salinity and waterlogging are interconnected issues. “The I&WRD started de-waterlogging operations in 2018-19 using vertical drainage techniques. While the improvement is slow, it is highly likely that these efforts have helped enhance groundwater quality,” she added. An expenditure of Rs 108.78 crore has been incurred since 2018-19, and 26,110 acres have been successfully de-waterlogged.

On groundwater depletion, she said, “The groundwater level in the state, particularly in the freshwater zone, is depleting rapidly due to heavy exploitation, which is a serious problem.” The average decline from June 2014 to June 2024 is 5.41 metres.

According to the Ground Water Resource Estimation (GWRE) 2024 report, 88 blocks in Haryana are categorised as "over-exploited," meaning groundwater extraction exceeds annual availability. Additionally, 11 blocks are classified as critical, eight as semi-critical and 36 as safe.

To promote conservation, Choudhry highlighted the ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ programme, which provides Rs 7,000 per acre for crop diversification. “Under this scheme, 58,000 acres were covered in 2022-23 and 36,174 acres in 2023-24,” she informed the House.