Shrinking water reserves: A crisis beneath our feet

Every year, World Water Day that falls on March 22 serves as a stark reminder of the global water crisis, with 220 crore people still lacking access to safe water.

- Rao Inderjit Singh

While surface water availability often dominates discussions, an equally pressing issue lurks underground — the rapid depletion of groundwater reserves. In Haryana, where agriculture forms the backbone of the economy, groundwater depletion poses a significant threat to long-term sustainability. Haryana is one of the most water-stressed states in India, with over 60% of its blocks classified as overexploited or critical by the Central Ground Water Board. Recent estimates indicate that groundwater levels in parts of the state are depleting at an alarming rate of 1–1.2 meters per year.

The Green Revolution transformed Haryana into one of India's leading producers of wheat and rice. However, this success has come at a cost. The cultivation of water-intensive crops like paddy requires extensive irrigation, leading to severe groundwater depletion. Farmers depend on tube wells to sustain their crops, but the unchecked extraction of groundwater has placed unsustainable pressure on the state's aquifers.

Haryana's urban centers, including Gurugram, Faridabad, and Panipat, are driving an unprecedented demand for groundwater. Municipal supply systems struggle to meet the needs of growing populations, forcing residents and businesses to extract groundwater indiscriminately. Industrial hubs, particularly in the textile and automobile sectors, also rely heavily on groundwater, further exacerbating the crisis.