CHANDIGARH, September 1 — Punjab recorded an improvement in its subterranean water table for the first time in several decades, according to the latest 2026 assessment by the Central Ground Water Board. Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal declared during a press conference at Punjab Bhawan that total groundwater extraction dropped from 164 percent in 2022 to 152.22 percent in 2026. Official findings show that the number of over-exploited blocks declined from 117 to 110, while safe assessment units increased from 17 to 20 state-wide.
The Water Resources Minister maintained that structural interventions under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann successfully diverted surface water to agricultural fields. “The annual groundwater extraction has declined from 28.02 BCM in 2022 to 26.32 BCM in the 2026 assessment,” Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal affirmed. He added that out of 153 total assessment units, 109 blocks registered varying degrees of hydrological recovery, with four specific units transitioning directly into the safe category.
Government representatives declared that an investment of ₹7,500 crore helped expand and rehabilitate thousands of kilometers of canal infrastructure. Department officials stated that canal water utilization surged from 26 percent in 2022 to 82 percent in 2026, allowing farmers to reduce reliance on tubewell pumping. Minister Goyal noted that shifting reliance toward canal supplies delivered an additional benefit of a 16 percent reduction in agricultural electricity consumption.
Artificial recharge initiatives and reservoir management contributed directly to the rising water table. Officials affirmed that over 510 artificial recharge schemes, including pond systems and injection wells, contributed 38 lakh cubic meters of recharged water. Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal maintained that protecting state aquifers remains directly connected to securing national food grain production for future generations.
