{"id":1282756,"date":"2024-06-24T07:16:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T01:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/?p=1282756"},"modified":"2024-06-24T07:19:05","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T01:49:05","slug":"delhi-water-crisis-city-has-already-extracted-99-groundwater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/delhi-water-crisis-city-has-already-extracted-99-groundwater\/","title":{"rendered":"Delhi Water Crisis: City Has Already Extracted 99% Groundwater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Delhi is currently facing a severe water crisis, as reported by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). The latest report reveals a significant decline in both the annual recharge and available groundwater for extraction in the city. In 2023, the net annual groundwater recharge was measured at 0.38 billion cubic meters (bcm), with only 0.34 bcm available for extraction. Shockingly, nearly all accessible groundwater, totaling 99.1%, has already been extracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rising Groundwater Extraction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The situation has worsened<\/a> compared to 2022 when the recharge was 0.41 bcm, with 0.37 bcm available and 0.36 bcm utilized. Despite the reduced groundwater recharge, extraction has increased from 98.16% in 2022 to 99.13% in 2023. This disparity highlights the ongoing challenges in sustaining groundwater levels across the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improvement in ‘Safe’ Zones Amidst Expanding Critical Areas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the report identifies some positive developments, such as an increase in urban areas classified as ‘safe’ in terms of groundwater levels (up to 15% from 12% in 2022), the number of ‘critical’ zones has also expanded significantly. In 2023, 35% of Delhi’s assessment units were categorized as ‘critical’, up from 21% in the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detailed Assessment Across Tehsils<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Delhi’s groundwater situation is assessed across 34 tehsils, revealing varying degrees of stress. As of 2023:<\/p>\n\n\n\n