Water Stress Deepens Across 193 Indian Districts
18 August 2025 (Ministry of Jal Shakti Report) — A new groundwater assessment released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (based on 2024 data) shows rising water stress across India. The National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources, 2024 identified 193 districts as water scarce — including 102 over-exploited, 22 critical, and 69 semi-critical. Rajasthan (29), Punjab (20), and Haryana (19) remain the worst-hit.
To address the crisis, the government continues its Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign, which evolves yearly:
- 2023 → Drinking water sustainability
- 2024 → “Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti”
- 2025 → “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Jan Jagrukta Ki Or”
This year, 148 high-focus districts have been identified for intensive intervention. Experts warn that with over-extraction and climate stress, India’s water crisis is no longer distant — it’s local, district by district.
Over-Exploited / Critical / Semi-Critical (OCS) Districts – India 2024
| State / UT | No. of OCS Districts | Over-Exploited | Critical | Semi-Critical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Punjab | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Haryana | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Tamil Nadu | 15 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Gujarat | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Karnataka | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| Telangana | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Maharashtra | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Other States/UTs | 68 | 46 | 9 | 13 |
| Total (India) | 193 | 181 | 13 | 18 |
Source: Ministry of Jal Shakti, PIB
