Recharge pits and shafts in open land
Parks, campuses, warehouse yards and road sides can take recharge shafts that reach past the clay layer, so runoff that floods streets goes down to the aquifer instead.
Groundwater level in Delhi
92%Critical
Almost every drop that rain puts back is being pumped out. That is the 2025 stage of groundwater extraction: water pumped out in a year as a share of what rain and other sources safely put back. Down 28 points since 2017.
320 million m³pumped out each year (2025)
350 million m³can be taken out safely each year
Noneno yearly shortfall
Extraction since 2009
Each point is one CGWB assessment. Over-exploited means more water leaves the ground than comes back, so the water table keeps falling. Hover over or tap a point to see why it moved.
Safe · up to 70%Semi-critical · 70–90%Critical · 90–100%Over-exploited · above 100%
Show the numbers
| Year | Stage | Pumped out | Safe limit | Category | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 138.0% | 400 million m³ | 290 million m³ | Over-exploited | First assessment in this series. |
| 2013 | 127.0% | 390 million m³ | 310 million m³ | Over-exploited | Pumping down 3% (400 → 390 million m³). Safe limit up 7% (290 → 310 million m³). Main reason: more water soaked back into the ground, from better rain, canals or recharge structures. |
| 2017 | 119.6% | 360 million m³ | 300 million m³ | Over-exploited | Pumping down 8% (390 → 360 million m³). Safe limit down 3% (310 → 300 million m³). Main reason: less water was pumped out. CGWB changed its method in 2017 (GEC-97 to GEC-2015), so part of this change comes from the new method. |
| 2020 | 101.4% | 290 million m³ | 290 million m³ | Over-exploited | Pumping down 19% (360 → 290 million m³). Safe limit down 3% (300 → 290 million m³). Main reason: less water was pumped out. |
| 2022 | 98.2% | 363 million m³ | 370 million m³ | Critical | Pumping up 25% (290 → 363 million m³). Safe limit up 27% (290 → 370 million m³). Main reason: more water soaked back into the ground, from better rain, canals or recharge structures. |
| 2023 | 99.1% | 340 million m³ | 340 million m³ | Critical | Pumping down 6% (363 → 340 million m³). Safe limit down 8% (370 → 340 million m³). |
| 2024 | 100.8% | 340 million m³ | 340 million m³ | Over-exploited | Pumping up 0% (340 → 340 million m³). Safe limit up 0% (340 → 340 million m³). |
| 2025 | 92.1% | 320 million m³ | 350 million m³ | Critical | Pumping down 6% (340 → 320 million m³). Safe limit up 3% (340 → 350 million m³). Main reason: less water was pumped out. |
Million m³: 1 million m³ = 100 crore litres. 2009 and 2013 used the older GEC-97 method.
Loading 20 years of rainfall…
Ponds and lakes in Delhi
656 of 893 water bodies (73%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.
893ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
525of them are ponds (59%)
27%still in use (237)
216encroached upon
- Ponds525
- Tanks4
- Lakes14
- Check dams and percolation tanks1
- Others349
Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).
All about the ponds and lakes in Delhi, district by district
What will fix it here
Most of the water here goes to homes and industry, so rooftop recharge and reuse make the biggest difference.
Rooftop rainwater recharge
Pipe roof water through a silt trap and filter into a recharge pit or an old borewell. Every 100 m² of roof puts back tens of thousands of litres a year, right where the pumping happens.
Revive village ponds and johads
Desilting old ponds and opening their feeder channels restores natural recharge. A one-hectare pond that soaks in a metre of water over the monsoon puts back about a crore litres.
Treat and reuse wastewater
Treated water from a sewage treatment plant can run flushing, gardens, cooling towers and construction, which today often draw on borewells.
Check dams and contour trenches
On sloping or rocky land, small dams on seasonal streams and trenches along contours slow water down long enough for it to sink in.
Meter borewells and fix leaks
Metered and registered borewells, leak repairs in supply lines and water-efficient fixtures cut pumping without anyone going short.
Frequently asked questions
What is the groundwater level in Delhi?
In the 2025 Central Ground Water Board assessment, Delhi pumped out 92% of the groundwater that can be safely taken out each year, which puts it in the "critical" category. That is 28 points lower than in 2017.
Is groundwater in Delhi over-exploited?
Not yet, but it is critical: 92% of the safe yield is already used.
How can groundwater be recharged in Delhi?
Rooftop rainwater harvesting into recharge pits or old borewells, recharge shafts in open land, reviving ponds, check dams, treating and reusing wastewater, and moving farms to drip irrigation and less thirsty crops.
How many ponds and lakes are there in Delhi?
The first Census of Water Bodies counted 893 water bodies in Delhi, including 525 ponds. 656 of them were not in use.
Districts of Delhi
Stage of extraction in 2025, most over-pumped first.