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.
Groundwater level in Goa
23%Safe
Groundwater use is within safe limits here. 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 0 points since 2020.
70.0 million m³pumped out each year (2025)
310 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 | 33.0% | 44.0 million m³ | 133 million m³ | Safe | First assessment in this series. |
| 2013 | 37.0% | – | – | Safe | Up 4 points since 2009. |
| 2020 | 23.5% | 80.0 million m³ | 320 million m³ | Safe | CGWB changed its method in 2017 (GEC-97 to GEC-2015), so part of this change comes from the new method. |
| 2022 | 23.6% | 78.0 million m³ | 330 million m³ | Safe | Pumping down 3% (80 → 78 million m³). Safe limit up 3% (320 → 330 million m³). |
| 2023 | 21.4% | 68.0 million m³ | 317 million m³ | Safe | Pumping down 13% (78 → 68 million m³). Safe limit down 4% (330 → 317 million m³). |
| 2024 | 22.9% | 70.0 million m³ | 310 million m³ | Safe | Pumping up 3% (68 → 70 million m³). Safe limit down 2% (317 → 310 million m³). |
| 2025 | 23.3% | 70.0 million m³ | 310 million m³ | Safe | Pumping up 0% (70 → 70 million m³). Safe limit up 0% (310 → 310 million m³). |
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 Goa
360 of 1,463 water bodies (25%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.
1,463ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
864of them are ponds (59%)
75%still in use (1,103)
8encroached upon
- Ponds864
- Tanks200
- Lakes46
- Reservoirs17
- Check dams and percolation tanks308
- Others28
Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).
What will fix it here
Groundwater here is in balance. Keeping it that way means recharging as the area builds up and paves over.
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.
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 Goa?
In the 2025 Central Ground Water Board assessment, Goa pumped out 23% of the groundwater that can be safely taken out each year, which puts it in the "safe" category. That is 0 points lower than in 2020.
Is groundwater in Goa over-exploited?
No. At 23% of the safe yield, Goa is safe, though recharge is still needed as demand grows.
How can groundwater be recharged in Goa?
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 Goa?
The first Census of Water Bodies counted 1,463 water bodies in Goa, including 864 ponds. 360 of them were not in use.
Districts of Goa
Stage of extraction in 2025, most over-pumped first.