Saline groundwater (high TDS) districts in India
CGWB's pre-monsoon 2023 samples found salinity (high TDS) above the limit (EC over 3,000 µS/cm, roughly TDS over 1,900 mg/l) in at least one well in 213 districts across 18 states. Water tastes salty or brackish, scales pipes and geysers, and is unfit to drink untreated.
By state
| State | Districts affected |
|---|---|
| Rajasthan | 26 |
| Gujarat | 24 |
| Tamil Nadu | 23 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 22 |
| Maharashtra | 21 |
| Haryana | 19 |
| Karnataka | 15 |
| Telangana | 15 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 13 |
| Punjab | 9 |
| Bihar | 5 |
| Delhi | 5 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5 |
| Odisha | 4 |
| West Bengal | 3 |
| Chhattisgarh | 2 |
| Assam | 1 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 |
What to do about it
Reverse osmosis (RO) removes dissolved salts; recharging fresh rainwater dilutes salinity in the aquifer over time.
Source: Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2024 (Report on Groundwater Quality of Shallow Aquifers in India 2024), Central Ground Water Board. A district is listed when at least one sample was over the limit, so not every well there is affected.