195% more groundwater drawn by Gurgaon than it replenished last year

GURGAON: The city continues to extract far more groundwater than it can naturally replenish, with withdrawals reaching 194.6% more than the permissible limit, according to the latest National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2025, released by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

While this is a slight improvement from 2024, when extraction stood at 195%, the change is negligible — a concerning trend given the persistent gap between extraction and natural replenishment. In 2023, the figure was even higher, at 212%.


The report shows that the city drew 40,396 hectare-metres (ham) of groundwater against a sustainable extractable resource of 22,923 ham.

This comes despite repeated warnings from the National Green Tribunal and environmental activists about the depletion of the natural resource. Nearly two weeks ago, the tribunal criticised the Haryana govt for failing to curb rampant illegal groundwater extraction. It ordered inspections of construction sites, farmhouses, industrial units, educational institutions and pharmaceutical units to check for illegal borewells.

Groundwater extraction beyond 100% is categorised as “over-exploited”, meaning aquifers are being used faster than they can refill.

A hectare metre (ham) is a unit used to measure large volumes of water. One ham equals 10 million litres of water. This means the city is extracting roughly 403 billion litres every year, nearly double what its aquifers can sustainably provide.

Across Haryana, several districts reported severe groundwater stress. Panipat recorded one of the highest extraction levels at 217.8%, followed by Karnal at 196.9%. Other districts with high extraction levels include Fatehabad (175.3%), Mahendragarh (156.8%), Faridabad (139.6%) and Ambala (130.1%), according to the report.

Some districts, however, remain in relatively safer categories. Rohtak recorded an extraction stage of 48.8%, Panchkula 62%, Jhajjar 72.7% and Nuh (formerly Mewat) 72.3%, indicating comparatively lower groundwater stress.

The data also shows that industrial demand forms a significant share of groundwater extraction in the city. Of the total withdrawal, about 17,142 ham is attributed to industrial use, while around 5,191 ham is used for domestic consumption. Irrigation accounts for over 21,267 ham, largely in peri-urban villages of the district.

The report highlights that groundwater recharge in the region is heavily dependent on rainfall. Monsoon rains contribute about 9,567 ham of recharge, while other sources such as canals and return flows add around 7,002 ham. During the non-monsoon period, rainfall contributes only around 3,206 ham, showing the district’s reliance on seasonal rainfall to replenish aquifers.

Haryana’s groundwater extraction stands at around 136% of its annual recharge. The state has an annual extractable groundwater resource of about 9.3 lakh ham, but actual extraction is estimated at around 12 lakh ham.

CGWB assessment evaluated 143 groundwater assessment units across Haryana, of which 88 (61.5%) were classified as “over-exploited”, 11 as “critical” and eight as “semi-critical”. Only 36 units (25.1%) fell in the “safe” category, according to the report.

Experts attribute the pressure on aquifers in the city to rapid urbanisation, industrial activity and a rising population, which sharply increased water demand. Large parts of the city continue to rely on private borewells, particularly in industrial areas, commercial establishments and residential colonies where piped water supply remains inadequate.

The city currently receives about 570 million litres per day (MLD) of treated surface water, which falls short of its peak summer demand of around 675 MLD, forcing residents and industries to increasingly depend on groundwater, experts said.

Professor Gauhar Mahmood of Jamia Millia Islamia’s civil engineering department echoed these concerns. “The credit for improvement of water levels should be given to nature. The city used more than it recharged. Groundwater is not an infinite reserve that we can keep mining without consequence,” he said, noting that the city barely harvests or uses rainwater for recharge.
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