Urban Groundwater: NGT’s Struggle to Improve Governance in 2025

April 4, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Entry gate of NGT’s principal bench in New Delhi: Source: Bar & Bench)

This overview looks at how the judiciary particularly; the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has tried to address the urban groundwater depletion and governance crisis during 2025. Cases from Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad and other cities indicate a common problem of weak regulation, poor coordination among concerned agencies and slow enforcement of court orders, allowing illegal groundwater extraction to continue. Many cases have been going on for years without clear results.

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Groundwater

Groundwater in India: Judiciary Failing to Resolve Governance Crisis in 2025?

April 3, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Illustration on deepening groundwater levels in India by Binay, Source: IWP)

This overview tracks the major judicial interventions concerning groundwater conservation and management in India during 2025, highlighting persistent failure to address the gaps in governance. The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) have been criticized for no real action, inadequate data, weak transparency and poor enforcement. The inefficiency of state-level groundwater authorities reflects a deeper systemic failure.

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Groundwater

Groundwater: Govts Actions to Recharge, Regulate in 2025 in India

April 1, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Principal Aquifer Map of India. Credit: CGWB’s Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, Figure 02, Page 09)

This overview highlights the top ten measures undertaken by various governments to protect groundwater in India in 2025. At the central level, the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) has a master plan for artificial recharge, targeting the construction of 1.42 crore structures. As per MoJS, 21 states and UTs have adopted Model Groundwater Management Bill 2020. The MoJS is also piloting pressurized irrigation systems and water accounting technologies to improve efficiency, especially in agriculture, which consumes 87% of extracted groundwater.

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Dams, Rivers & People · Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

DRP 300326: Sad state of migratory Riverine fish in India

March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cover page of CMS summary report on Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes)

The key CMS (Conservation of Migratory fish Species) report this week once again highlights the sad state of migratory Riverine fish, fisheries and fisherfolks in India. Shockingly, even when thousands or tens of thousands of fisherfolks lose their livelihoods due to projects on rivers, there is not even assessment of impacts of such projects on fish, fisheries and fisherfolks, leave aside consideration of compensation or rehabilitation for them. The Sardar Sarovar Project on Narmada River in Gujarat, one of the most celebrated dams of India, as an apt example of this situation. Farakka Dam is another such example.

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Dam floods · Floods · Hydropower · Indus · Ravi River

Ravi ka Kinara Kaisa hai? River Ravi through its people

March 28, 2026March 28, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

Flowing under many names: Vedic Parushni, Puranic Iravati, Greek Hydraotes, River Ravi is arguably the most storied of the five rivers meeting the Indus.

Ravi’s flow from the glacial heights of Himalayas to the fertile plains of Punjab has been embellished in songs and stories for centuries. Heth Vage Ravi Dariya or “Below flows the River Ravi” is a ubiquitous phrase in songs and poems.[1] On the banks of Ranjit Sagar Dam on Ravi, Manbhavan Singh Kahlon, himself a poet-activist muses, “We Punjabis have always written poetry around our rivers. Perhaps even too much, I sometimes think. But most of Ravi’s poetry has been left back in Pakistan.” Pakistan, on the other hand, thinks most of Ravi’s water has been left back in India.

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Groundwater

Groundwater: GW management in Agriculture in 2025

March 26, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Scientists call for climate‑resilient model of irrigation and food production. Credit: Nagara Gopal/The Hindu)

The reports on groundwater management in Agriculture in India in 2025, focusing on effective solutions compiled here underline the urgency to address this issue. Water-saving techniques like System of Rice Intensification (SRI), direct seeding and alternate wetting show potential but face low adoption due to non-sincere efforts from the government, reduced farm profits, while solar-powered pumps risk accelerating over-extraction, not help GW management.

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Groundwater

Groundwater: Rising Depletion and Contamination in 2025 in India

March 25, 2026April 2, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Spatial Distribution of Uranium in Groundwater – Pre & Post Monsoon, 2024. Credit: CGWB’s Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, Figure 26, Page 49)

This annual overview compiling reports on groundwater situation in India highlights that the contamination and depletion are rising through 2025. Most of the reports are based on Central Ground Water Board’s (CGWB’s) Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025. In NW states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, groundwater use far exceeds recharge, driven largely by water-intensive crops and subsidized electricity. Punjab extracts over 150% of its annual recharge, with most districts now classified as overexploited. Even above-normal rainfall in Rajasthan has failed to restore aquifers, pointing to failures in recharge & water management.

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Climate Change · Dams, Rivers & People · Himalayas

DRP 230326: Small Hydro environment friendly and help community development?

March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 SANDRP2 Comments

(Feature Image: Priyadarshini Small HEP on Manuni khad in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh damaged after flash flood in June 2025. At least 8 workers of the project were also killed in the disaster. Image Source: Gems of Himachal, post on X.)

The impression being given through the following PIB Press Release dated March 18 2026 that this scheme cleared by the Union Cabinet to promote small hydropower projects will promote environment friendly and socio-economically beneficial projects in North East and other hilly areas is incorrect and misleading.

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Groundwater · Rural Drinking Water · Water · Water Options

WWD 2026: Collective Groundwater Conservation Efforts in India

March 22, 2026March 22, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: In Rajasthan’s Chambal, wives of ex-dacoits lead revival of water sources and hope. Source: The Tribune)

On the occasion of World Water Day (WWD) 2026, themed around water and gender, this overview highlights ten stories of collective efforts by communities, experts, and government agencies to conserve groundwater from across India. These examples show how decentralized actions such as reviving wells, recharging aquifers, harvesting rainwater and managing surface water bodies offer simple yet effective alternatives to large-scale infrastructure projects to address the water scarcity. The compilation demonstrates that sustainable groundwater management depends on collective action, local knowledge and active participation of local people.

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Dams, Rivers & People · Free flowing rivers · River Water Disputes · Riverine Literature · Rivers and Culture

2026: Books, Films, Discussions on State of Indian Rivers

March 21, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cover page of five books on Indian rivers mentioned in this overview)

This overview puts together brief information on top five books, films, discussions, reports, and cultural stories published during previous year to present a comprehensive view on the state of rivers in India. The compilation emphasizes how rivers are deeply intertwined with ecology, society, politics and culture while highlighting the growing crises they face due to pollution, dams, urbanization and climate change. Through research, storytelling and lived experiences, the collection questions current policies and development models, stressing on the need for sustainable management, stronger accountability and recognition of rivers as living systems essential to human and ecological well-being.

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