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 Puducherry
76%Semi-critical
Groundwater is under pressure 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. Up 2 points since 2020.
130 million m³pumped out each year (2025)
170 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 | 98.0% | 150 million m³ | 154 million m³ | Critical | First assessment in this series. |
| 2013 | 88.0% | 153 million m³ | 174 million m³ | Semi-critical | Pumping up 2% (150 → 153 million m³). Safe limit up 13% (154 → 174 million m³). Main reason: more water soaked back into the ground, from better rain, canals or recharge structures. |
| 2020 | 74.3% | 150 million m³ | 200 million m³ | Semi-critical | Pumping down 2% (153 → 150 million m³). Safe limit up 15% (174 → 200 million m³). Main reason: more water soaked back into the ground, from better rain, canals or recharge structures. CGWB changed its method in 2017 (GEC-97 to GEC-2015), so part of this change comes from the new method. |
| 2022 | 69.2% | 130 million m³ | 190 million m³ | Safe | Pumping down 13% (150 → 130 million m³). Safe limit down 5% (200 → 190 million m³). Main reason: less water was pumped out. |
| 2023 | 70.3% | 130 million m³ | 180 million m³ | Semi-critical | Pumping up 0% (130 → 130 million m³). Safe limit down 5% (190 → 180 million m³). |
| 2024 | 75.9% | 130 million m³ | 170 million m³ | Semi-critical | Pumping up 0% (130 → 130 million m³). Safe limit down 6% (180 → 170 million m³). Main reason: less water soaked back in, from weaker rain, less canal seepage or more paved ground. |
| 2025 | 76.0% | 130 million m³ | 170 million m³ | Semi-critical | Pumping up 0% (130 → 130 million m³). Safe limit up 0% (170 → 170 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 Puducherry
484 of 1,171 water bodies (41%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.
1,171ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
976of them are ponds (83%)
59%still in use (687)
34encroached upon
- Ponds976
- Tanks44
- Lakes140
- Reservoirs6
- Check dams and percolation tanks4
- Others1
Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).
All about the ponds and lakes in Puducherry, 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.
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 Puducherry?
In the 2025 Central Ground Water Board assessment, Puducherry pumped out 76% of the groundwater that can be safely taken out each year, which puts it in the "semi-critical" category. That is 2 points higher than in 2020.
Is groundwater in Puducherry over-exploited?
No. At 76% of the safe yield, Puducherry is semi-critical, though recharge is still needed as demand grows.
How can groundwater be recharged in Puducherry?
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 Puducherry?
The first Census of Water Bodies counted 1,171 water bodies in Puducherry, including 976 ponds. 484 of them were not in use.
Districts of Puducherry
Stage of extraction in 2025, most over-pumped first.