Punjab’s groundwater extraction is 52% higher than its annual availability, with 152.22% exploitation, according to the latest groundwater assessment. The state recharges 19.14 billion cubic metres (BCM) annually but extracted 26.32 BCM in 2025-26.
Agriculture accounts for nearly all withdrawals, with 110 of the 153 assessed blocks classified as over-exploited. Despite a slight improvement and a decline in over-exploited blocks, 72% of blocks remain in critical or over-exploited categories. Authorities are pushing for increased canal-based irrigation, crop diversification, and efficiency measures to mitigate the ongoing crisis.
Source: Down To Earth