Dark zone areas in India, state by state
93 of 685 districts pumped out more groundwater than was recharged in CGWB's 2025 assessment. Pick a state to see every over-exploited (above 100%), critical (90–100%) and semi-critical (70–90%) district.
States with districts under stress
| State | Over-exploited | Critical | Semi-critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| Punjab | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Haryana | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| Tamil Nadu | 10 | 2 | 11 |
| Karnataka | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 4 | 7 | 25 |
| Gujarat | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Delhi | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Chhattisgarh | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Telangana | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Bihar | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jharkhand | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Maharashtra | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Puducherry | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| West Bengal | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
What is a dark zone in groundwater?
"Dark zone" is the everyday name for an area the Central Ground Water Board classes as over-exploited: more groundwater is pumped out each year than rain and other sources put back. Critical areas (90% to 100%) are often called grey zones.
Can I drill a borewell in a dark zone?
For a house, most states allow it with local registration, though some cities ban new borewells. For industry, infrastructure, mining and commercial use, the Central Ground Water Authority's No Objection Certificate is needed, and in over-exploited areas it comes with tighter limits and recharge conditions.
How is an area moved out of the dark zone?
By pumping less and recharging more: rooftop rainwater harvesting, recharge bores, reviving ponds and check dams, and switching crops or irrigation methods. CGWB reassesses every year, so districts can move up or down.
Categories are CGWB's, applied here to whole districts. CGWB assesses blocks, so a district with a safe average can still hold over-exploited blocks.