No Development Block in Chhattisgarh Now Falls in the ‘Critical’ Groundwater Category

Raipur, September 9, 2026/Chhattisgarh has achieved a major milestone in groundwater conservation, with no development block in the state now classified under the ‘critical’ groundwater extraction category. According to the Groundwater Resources Assessment-2026, all five blocks that remained critical in 2025 have moved out of the category, compared with nine critical blocks in 2020. The state has also recorded its biggest improvement in a single-cycle assessment since block-wise groundwater assessment began, with the groundwater status of 12 development blocks improving and the number of safe blocks rising to 127. Annual groundwater recharge has reached an all-time high of 14.65 billion cubic metres (BCM), while total groundwater extraction has declined for the first time in the available assessment record.

The Groundwater Resources Assessment-2026, jointly prepared by the Central Ground Water Board and the State Groundwater Survey Board, has been approved by the State-Level Groundwater Assessment and Management Committee.

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Congratulating the people of the state, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai said Chhattisgarh has turned Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call of ‘Jan Shakti se Jal Shakti’ into action through public participation. He said campaigns such as Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari have brought government departments, district administrations, farmers and citizens together around the common objective of water conservation.

Annual Groundwater Recharge Reaches Record 14.65 BCM

The assessment shows that Chhattisgarh’s annual groundwater recharge has risen to an all-time high of 14.65 BCM, up from 11.57 BCM in 2017.

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Compared with 2020, groundwater recharge from ponds and small water bodies has increased by 266.9 per cent, while recharge from other water-conservation structures has risen by 202.8 per cent.

A total of 2,28,736 water structures have been recorded across the state for the 2026 assessment. Structures created or rejuvenated under ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ and ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ have contributed significantly to improving groundwater recharge capacity.

Groundwater Extraction Declines for the First Time on Record

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Another significant outcome of the 2026 assessment is a decline in groundwater extraction. Total extraction has fallen from 6.30 BCM in the previous assessment cycle to 6.21 BCM in 2026, marking the first annual decline in the available assessment record.

The stage of groundwater extraction, which reached 49.5 per cent in 2022, has now declined to 46.37 per cent, well below the 70 per cent threshold for the safe category.

This improvement is not merely the result of better rainfall or increased groundwater recharge. The actual decline in extraction indicates that water-demand management, crop diversification, water conservation and farmers’ participation have produced tangible results on the ground.

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Crop Diversification Brings Major Improvement in Bemetara and Rajnandgaon

The assessment identifies reduced summer paddy cultivation as a key factor behind lower groundwater extraction, particularly in Bemetara and Rajnandgaon districts.

In Bemetara, the area under summer paddy has declined from around 26,000 hectares to 5,000 hectares, while in Rajnandgaon it has fallen from 9,400 hectares to about 2,800 hectares. Together, the two districts have reduced summer paddy cultivation by approximately 27,600 hectares.

Bemetara has moved out of the critical category after four consecutive assessment cycles. Compared with 2023, the district recorded nearly a 20 per cent reduction in total groundwater extraction.

Rajnandgaon has also shown substantial improvement. Its groundwater extraction level reached 70.5 per cent in 2022, but the Rajnandgaon development block is now in the safe category. Groundwater extraction for irrigation has declined by 16.4 per cent compared with 2023.

Chief Minister Shri Sai said farmers who changed their cropping patterns have made an important contribution not only to present-day water conservation but also to the water security of future generations.

‘This Achievement Was Earned in Fields and Villages’: Chief Minister Shri Sai

Crediting farmers, citizens and field-level personnel, Chief Minister Shri Sai said the achievement was not secured in government offices but earned through sustained efforts in fields and villages.

He particularly acknowledged farmers in Bemetara, Rajnandgaon and other parts of the state who adopted changes in agricultural practices to conserve groundwater, as well as field teams that worked continuously with them.

The Chief Minister said the results demonstrate that sustained public participation, combined with government policy and scientific water management, can bring about significant and lasting improvement in groundwater conditions.

Integrated Approach Behind Improvement

The improvement has resulted from coordinated efforts by the Water Resources, Panchayat and Rural Development, Agriculture and Public Health Engineering departments, along with district administrations and local communities.

Construction and rejuvenation of water-conservation structures, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, responsible water use, crop diversification and promotion of less water-intensive crops have been pursued together as part of an integrated strategy. This combined approach has increased recharge while reducing groundwater extraction.

Special Focus Now on 19 Semi-Critical Blocks

Chief Minister Shri Sai said that while eliminating critical blocks is an important milestone, further work is needed to achieve complete groundwater security.

At present, 19 development blocks across 11 districts remain in the semi-critical category. The State Government has set a target that no development block in Chhattisgarh should remain groundwater-stressed by 2030.

The next phase will therefore focus on bringing these semi-critical blocks into the safe category through targeted groundwater recharge, water conservation, crop diversification and community participation.

Under NAQUIM 2.0, aquifer-mapping studies are proposed during 2026-27 across approximately 5,442 sq km in Bemetara, Bilaspur and Janjgir-Champa districts. The exercise will enable more scientific assessment of groundwater availability, aquifer conditions and area-specific management requirements.

State to Intensify Block-Level ‘Catch the Rain’ Planning

The achievement follows the National Water Summit held on September 1 and 2, 2026, where Chief Minister Shri Sai presented Chhattisgarh’s water-conservation and water-security initiatives and achievements to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The State Government is now preparing to implement its annual ‘Catch the Rain’ Plan 2026-27 with monthly targets at the development-block level, enabling conservation and recharge measures to be tailored more closely to local groundwater conditions.

Chief Minister Shri Sai said water conservation is a commitment to the secure future of both present and coming generations. Having reduced the number of critical blocks to zero through collective effort, Chhattisgarh will now move towards the goal of bringing every development block into the safe groundwater category by 2030.