Atal Bhujal Yojana (2019): From Aquifer Mapping To Sustainable Groundwater Management In India

Policy Update
Neha Kumari

Background

Groundwater is one of the most important sources of water in India. It supports agriculture, drinking water, rural livelihoods, and several urban and industrial activities. According to the Dynamic Groundwater Resources Assessment, 2025, India extracts about 247.22 billion cubic metres (BCM) of groundwater annually. Agriculture accounts for around 87 per cent of this extraction, while domestic use accounts for 11 per cent and industry for about 2 per cent. Groundwater also supports a large share of India’s irrigated agriculture and remains an important source of drinking water for rural and urban populations.

Groundwater is difficult to govern because it is largely invisible, lies below the surface and does not follow administrative boundaries. Millions of farmers, households and other users extract groundwater through wells and tube wells, making it difficult to monitor extraction at the aquifer level. Therefore, understanding groundwater conditions does not automatically mean that the resource can be managed effectively.

India has made considerable progress in understanding its groundwater resources. The National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM), launched by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in 2012, has helped map aquifers and prepare groundwater management plans. At the same time, the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), implemented since 2020 in seven states, has focused on community participation, water budgeting and reducing groundwater demand at the Gram Panchayat level.

These two approaches address different parts of the problem. NAQUIM provides scientific information about aquifers, while ABHY seeks to use local participation and planning to influence groundwater use. The larger challenge is connecting these two. India therefore needs to move beyond knowing where groundwater exists and use this knowledge to make better decisions about how much groundwater can be extracted, where it should be used and how demand can be reduced.

Functioning

NAQUIM: The National Aquifer Mapping Programme was launched by the Central Ground Water Board in 2012 under the Ground Water Management and Regulation scheme. Its main purpose is to identify and understand the country’s aquifers, including their characteristics, groundwater availability, recharge conditions and quality.

NAQUIM has covered the entire mappable area of about 25 lakh square kilometres. The programme has mapped 14 principal aquifers and 42 major aquifers and prepared district-level aquifer maps and groundwater management plans. These plans have been shared with state and district administrations to support groundwater planning.

NAQUIM 2.0 was initiated during 2023-24 and focuses on more detailed mapping in areas facing particular groundwater problems, including water-stressed regions, contaminated areas, coastal zones, urban agglomerations, spring sheds and industrial clusters. Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, NAQUIM 2.0 covered 143 study areas, covering around 76,857 square kilometres. The focus is now on generating more detailed information that can support groundwater management at smaller spatial levels.

The important policy question is what happens after an aquifer is mapped. Aquifer information has to reach the institutions and communities making decisions about irrigation, cropping, groundwater extraction and recharge. Without this connection, technically detailed maps may have limited influence on actual groundwater use.

Atal Bhujal Yojana: The Atal Bhujal Yojana is a community-led groundwater management programme implemented in 8,203 water-stressed Gram Panchayats across 229 blocks in seven states.

The programme promotes public sharing of groundwater information, preparation of water budgets and development of Gram Panchayat-level Water Security Plans. More than 1.28 lakh Gram Panchayat-level training programmes have been conducted, while at least 33 per cent of women’s participation has been mandated in decision-making.

ABHY also focuses on reducing groundwater demand through efficient irrigation, crop diversification, rainwater harvesting and convergence with programmes such as MGNREGS and watershed development initiatives. Government data indicate that demand-side activities have covered around 670,802 hectares and resulted in estimated water savings of 1,716 million cubic metres through measures such as micro-irrigation, crop diversification and rainwater harvesting.

The basic idea is that groundwater cannot be managed only through government departments. Communities that directly depend on groundwater also need to participate in deciding how it is used.

The Missing Link: NAQUIM and ABHY approach groundwater management from different directions. NAQUIM helps answer the scientific question of what is happening to the aquifer and how much groundwater is available. ABHY addresses how available groundwater can be managed at the local level.

The policy challenge is to connect these two processes. Aquifer maps cannot by themselves change irrigation practices or reduce extraction, while community water plans may be less effective without reliable and locally relevant information about the aquifer. Effective groundwater governance therefore requires scientific knowledge to be connected with local decision-making.

Performance

The progress of these initiatives can be assessed at three levels: the creation of groundwater knowledge, community participation and actual groundwater management.

1. Knowledge: NAQUIM has significantly expanded India’s scientific understanding of groundwater. Aquifer maps, groundwater assessments and management plans have been prepared across the country’s mappable area. District-wise aquifer maps and management plans covering 654 districts have been shared with state and district administrations.

NAQUIM 2.0 is taking this further by focusing on areas where more detailed information is required and using GIS-based analysis and other technologies to support local planning. This is important because groundwater management depends on knowledge of local hydrogeological conditions. However, the production of information should not be confused with effective management; its value ultimately depends on whether it is used in actual decisions.

2. Local Participation: ABHY has made progress in creating local institutions and encouraging community participation. All 8,203 participating Gram Panchayats have prepared and updated water budgets and water security plans. The programme has also conducted more than 1.28 lakh Gram Panchayat-level training programmes, supporting local awareness and capacity-building for groundwater management.

These activities indicate progress in building community-level systems for groundwater management. However, their longer-term effectiveness needs to be assessed through changes in groundwater use and resource conditions. An impact assessment by the Quality Council of India reported improvements in groundwater levels in 180 out of 229 blocks during the 2023-25 assessment period. This provides an indication of positive outcomes in some ABHY areas, although groundwater levels are influenced by several factors beyond the programme itself.

3. Actual Groundwater Management: This remains the most difficult part to assess. Groundwater levels are influenced by several factors, including rainfall, recharge, irrigation, cropping patterns, extraction and local geological conditions. A rise in groundwater levels in a particular year does not necessarily mean that a programme alone caused the improvement.

The 2025 assessment places India’s stage of groundwater extraction at 60.63 per cent, with 281 districts recording extraction levels above the national average. However, being above the national average does not by itself mean that these districts are classified as stressed or over-exploited. Groundwater conditions vary considerably across regions and need to be assessed using the official groundwater assessment categories and local hydrogeological conditions. At the same time, improvements have been reported in several blocks covered by ABHY.

These figures show both progress and the scale of the remaining challenge. The real test of groundwater programmes is not simply how many maps have been prepared or how many water budgets have been produced. It is whether scientific information and community participation lead to more sustainable groundwater use.

Table 1: From Groundwater Knowledge to Groundwater Management

Dimension	NAQUIM	Atal Bhujal Yojana
Primary approach	Scientific understanding of groundwater	Community-led groundwater management
Main output	Aquifer maps and management plans	Water security plans and water budgets
Main question	What is happening to groundwater?	How can groundwater use be managed?
Scale	Broad/national mapping	Selected Gram Panchayats in seven states
Key limitation	Information may not translate into action.	Limited geographical coverage and behavioural challenges

Impact

The available evidence suggests that these programmes are beginning to produce some positive outcomes, particularly at the local level. Under ABHY, improvements in groundwater levels were reported in 180 of the 229 blocks assessed during 2023-25. However, groundwater levels are affected by rainfall, recharge, extraction, cropping patterns and local geological conditions. Therefore, these improvements should be treated as an outcome associated with the programme rather than as evidence that ABHY alone caused the change.

The wider impact of NAQUIM is more closely linked to improving the information available for groundwater planning. By mapping aquifers and preparing groundwater management plans, the programme has created a stronger scientific basis for decisions on groundwater availability, recharge and quality. The larger policy challenge is to ensure that this information is actually used by state governments, district administrations and local institutions.

At the community level, ABHY has also strengthened participation through water budgeting, water security plans and training. These measures can help communities understand local groundwater conditions and make more informed decisions about water use. However, their long-term impact will depend on whether they result in sustained changes in extraction, cropping patterns and water-use practices.

Challenges

Fragmented Groundwater Governance: Groundwater management involves agriculture, irrigation, electricity, rural development and local government in addition to agencies directly responsible for water. At the central level, several ministries and agencies have responsibilities connected with groundwater, while state departments, pollution control boards, the Central Ground Water Board and the Central Ground Water Authority also have important roles.

A parliamentary committee has highlighted the lack of coordination between different institutions and recommended greater coordination among stakeholders. This fragmentation creates a major policy problem. Agriculture policies may encourage particular crops, electricity policies may provide subsidised or free power for irrigation, while groundwater authorities may simultaneously be trying to reduce excessive extraction.

Groundwater, therefore, cannot be treated as the responsibility of one department. Sustainable management requires coordination between water, agriculture, electricity and local governance policies.

Groundwater Data and Local Decision-Making: Another challenge is making technical groundwater information useful to those who make decisions about water use. NAQUIM information has been shared with state and district administrations, but this does not necessarily mean that it is being used effectively at the Gram Panchayat level.

Aquifer maps and technical assessments can be difficult for farmers and local officials to understand without appropriate interpretation and training. The issue is therefore not simply whether groundwater data exist, but whether the data are presented in a form that supports real decisions.

NAQUIM 2.0 is moving towards more detailed and locally relevant information through GIS-based analysis and other technologies. However, simplified maps, local-language information, training and integration with existing planning processes will be necessary to turn technical information into practical decisions.

Agricultural Demand: Agriculture is at the centre of India’s groundwater problem because it accounts for the majority of groundwater extraction. Irrigation dependence, crop choices, electricity subsidies and irrigation technology all influence groundwater demand.

Farmers cannot simply be asked to reduce groundwater use without considering the economic conditions in which they make decisions. Crop choices are influenced by markets, minimum support prices and electricity costs. In water-stressed regions, crop diversification and water-efficient irrigation may therefore be more effective when supported by suitable economic and policy incentives.

Groundwater conservation cannot be separated from agricultural policy. Reducing groundwater demand requires coordination across agriculture, irrigation and energy policies.

Limited Geographic Coverage of Community-Based Models: ABHY provides an important model for community-led groundwater management, but it operates in selected areas rather than across the country. The programme covers 229 blocks in seven states, while national assessments show groundwater stress across many other regions.

Successful practices therefore need to be adapted rather than simply replicated. Groundwater conditions differ between regions. A model suitable for a semi-arid area may not be appropriate for a coastal region facing salinity or an urban area facing contamination and reduced recharge.

Scaling up requires approaches suited to local aquifers, rainfall, cropping patterns and socio-economic conditions.

Emerging Issues

Climate Change: Climate change is making groundwater planning more uncertain. Changes in rainfall patterns, drought conditions and extreme rainfall events can affect groundwater recharge.

India’s average temperature increased by approximately 0.89°C during 2015-2024 compared with the 1901-1930 period. Extreme rainfall events have also become an important concern in several regions.

More rainfall does not necessarily mean more groundwater. Short and intense rainfall events can produce runoff rather than recharge, particularly where natural infiltration is limited. Groundwater planning therefore needs to consider not only the amount of rainfall but also when, where and how it occurs. Recharge structures and local water management systems will need to respond to changing rainfall patterns.

Urbanisation: Urbanisation is creating another set of pressures on groundwater. Growing cities require more water, while construction and paved surfaces reduce the amount of rainwater that can naturally enter the ground.

This creates a difficult situation in which cities can experience serious waterlogging during heavy rainfall while groundwater levels continue to face pressure. The problem is not simply a shortage of rainfall but the loss of natural recharge areas and continued groundwater extraction.

Urban groundwater management should be connected with land-use planning, drainage, rainwater harvesting and protection of recharge zones. Groundwater needs to be considered as part of urban planning rather than treated only as a source of emergency water supply.

Technology and Digital Groundwater Governance: Technology can improve the way groundwater is monitored and managed through GIS, remote sensing, groundwater sensors, spatial databases and digital monitoring systems.

NAQUIM 2.0 is moving in this direction by using GIS-based analysis and other technologies to develop more detailed and locally relevant groundwater information.

However, technology alone cannot solve the governance problem. Data are useful only when officials, local governments and communities can understand and apply them. The focus should therefore be on using technology to support better decisions rather than treating technology as an end in itself.

Way Forward

Make NAQUIM Data Useful at the Local Level: The next step should be to make aquifer information directly useful for local planning. NAQUIM data should be linked with Gram Panchayat plans, district water plans, irrigation planning, watershed programmes and agricultural planning.

Technical information should be presented through simpler formats, local-language summaries, easy-to-read maps and training programmes. The objective should be to move from simply mapping aquifers to using aquifer information in everyday planning decisions.

Link Groundwater with Agricultural Planning: Groundwater management should be better connected with agriculture, irrigation and electricity policies. In regions facing severe groundwater stress, crop planning should consider the amount of water available in the local aquifer.

States can encourage crop diversification and water-efficient agriculture through appropriate financial, market and technical support. Farmers should not be expected to change cropping patterns without economically viable alternatives.

Expand and Adapt Community-Based Management: The experience of ABHY can provide useful lessons for other groundwater-stressed regions. However, expansion should be based on local conditions rather than simply copying the same model everywhere.

NAQUIM data can help identify areas where community-based groundwater planning should be prioritised. Local institutions can then be supported through water budgeting, training and incentives for demand-side management.

Build an Integrated Groundwater Information System: India would benefit from an integrated groundwater information system bringing together aquifer maps, groundwater levels, water quality, rainfall, cropping patterns, irrigation, extraction and recharge information.

The system should provide regularly updated information in formats that district administrations and local governments can use. Data from different agencies also need to be standardised and made interoperable to reduce fragmentation and improve planning across administrative boundaries.

Strengthen Institutional Coordination: Groundwater management requires stronger coordination among the Ministry of Jal Shakti, CGWB, state groundwater departments, agriculture departments, electricity departments, local governments and Gram Panchayats.

The policies of these institutions directly affect groundwater demand. Better coordination can help ensure that agricultural, electricity and water policies support rather than undermine groundwater conservation. Groundwater planning should therefore become part of broader development planning rather than remaining a separate activity handled mainly by water-related departments.

Conclusion

India has made significant progress in understanding its groundwater resources, but the next challenge is to make this knowledge useful for actual decisions about groundwater use. NAQUIM has expanded the scientific understanding of aquifers by mapping the country’s mappable area and preparing groundwater management plans. ABHY has shown that local communities can also play an important role through water budgeting, water security plans and demand-side management.

However, groundwater extraction continues to be shaped by agricultural practices, crop choices, electricity policies, urbanisation and changing climate conditions. The national stage of groundwater extraction remains 60.63 per cent, while many districts continue to experience significant pressure.

The focus of groundwater policy therefore needs to move from producing more information to making better use of existing information. Aquifer maps should inform local planning, community participation should be connected with scientific data, and groundwater demand should be addressed through coordinated agricultural, electricity and water policies.

India’s groundwater challenge is ultimately not just about knowing where water is available. It is about deciding how much can be safely used, for what purposes and by whom. Moving from aquifer mapping to effective groundwater management will be essential for making India’s groundwater use more sustainable in the years ahead.

References

Central Ground Water Board. (2024). Annual groundwater quality report 2024. Ministry of Jal Shakti. https://visionias.in/current-affairs/monthly-magazine/2025-02-22/environment/annual-ground-water-quality-report-2024

Central Ground Water Board. (2025). Dynamic groundwater resources assessment, 2025. Ministry of Jal Shakti. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2220203

Central Ground Water Board. (2025). NAQUIM 2.0 studies and aquifer management plans. Ministry of Jal Shakti. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2204095

Down To Earth. (2025). India’s climate crisis: 2025 sees extreme weather on 99% of days. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/year-of-extremes-india-hit-by-disasters-on-331-of-334-days-in-2025-up-from-295-in-2024-and-292-in-2022

ESRI India. (2026). How India is mapping aquifer depletion and recharge zones. https://www.esri.in/en-in/newsroom/blog/gis-for-groundwater-management

Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2025a). Findings of dynamic groundwater resources assessment (PIB Press Release, PRID: 2206073). https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2206073

Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2025b). Groundwater recharge improves slightly in 2025, but one-fourth of India still faces severe stress. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/groundwater-recharge-improves-slightly-in-2025-but-one-fourth-of-india-still-faces-severe-stress/ar-AA1Rq0w5

Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2025c). Implementation and impact of Atal Bhujal Yojana (PIB Press Release, PRID: 2291800). https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2291800

NITI Aayog. (2019). Composite water management index 2.0. https://www.scribd.com/document/891936625/Latest-Composite-Water-Management-Index-CWMI-Ava

Parliament of India, Standing Committee on Water Resources. (2026). Groundwater: A valuable but diminishing resource (Report summary). PRS Legislative Research. https://prsindia.org/policy/report-summaries/groundwater-a-valuable-but-diminishing-resource

Quality Council of India. (2026). Atal Bhujal Yojana: QCI impact study finds groundwater improvement in 180 of 229 blocks. https://currentaffairspulse.com/article/2026-07-30-atal-bhujal-yojana-impact-assessment-qci

World Bank. (2020). Atal Bhujal Yojana: Managing India’s groundwater for the future. https://www.indiawaterportal.org/groundwater/atal-bhujal-yojana-atal-jal-managing-indias-groundwater-for-the-future-2

About the Contributor:

Neha Kumari is a Research and Editorial Intern at IMPRI, currently pursuing an M.A. in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Central University of Gujarat. She holds an undergraduate degree in Social Management. Her research interests include geopolitics, national security, international relations, governance, and public policy. She is particularly interested in contemporary security challenges and India’s foreign policy, especially in the context of India’s evolving regional and global role.

Acknowledgements:

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to IMPRI for providing me the opportunity to prepare this article and for fostering a rigorous learning environment that connects research with public policy practice. I also extend my sincere thanks to Pallavi Lad and Vyomini Nathwani for their valuable feedback.