India’s groundwater reserves have remained largely stable despite a 19% deficit in cumulative southwest monsoon rainfall, offering some relief to farmers during the ongoing kharif season, according to the latest report of the Agriculture Ministry’s Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG).
The report found that 7,977 of 9,085 groundwater monitoring wells nearly 88% recorded normal water levels. Only around 12.2% of the wells showed varying degrees of groundwater drought, suggesting that most irrigated farming regions are unlikely to face immediate water stress.
Around 69% of the monitored wells recorded groundwater levels within 10 meters below the ground, while only about 4% had water levels deeper than 40 meters. The ministry said the Pre-Monsoon 2026 Groundwater Drought Index showed groundwater stress was largely limited to isolated pockets in a few states.
A senior Agriculture Ministry official said the healthy groundwater position could help protect crops from temporary gaps in rainfall. Where tube-well irrigation is available, farmers may be able to maintain normal irrigation despite the monsoon shortfall.
However, experts have warned that the current situation should not lead to complacency. DK Singh, a retired water technology scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), said the immediate impact of the rainfall deficit would primarily be felt in areas where groundwater levels are already below normal.
He also noted that groundwater responds to rainfall with a significant delay. According to Singh, the impact of poor rainfall may become visible only after five to six months, raising concerns about groundwater recharge and water availability during the next agricultural season.
The stable national picture also hides serious long-term groundwater stress in several major agricultural states. In 2025, groundwater extraction exceeded annual recharge in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana, with extraction levels standing at 156.36%, 147.11% and 136.75%, respectively.
Meanwhile, rainfall between June 1 and July 22 remained 19% below the long-period average. East and northeast India recorded the largest deficit at 32%, followed by the southern peninsula at 26%, northwest India at 13% and central India at 9%.
The CWWG also reported below-average soil moisture in parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Marathwada, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, eastern West Bengal and parts of the Northeast.
While current groundwater reserves provide a cushion against the weak monsoon, experts caution that continued rainfall deficits could affect groundwater recharge in the coming months turning today’s temporary relief into a potential water challenge next year.
