Chandigarh, March 31 -- In a modest but notable shift for Punjab, which has been grappling with a groundwater crisis for years, 17 of its 153 revenue blocks managed to reverse the trend of falling water table between 2022 and 2025, the state water resources department observed. Eight of these blocks also achieved a balance between extraction and recharge, and thus were classified as 'green' blocks. These include Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozpur, Guruhar Sahai, Mamdot, Qadian, Aur (Nawanshahr), and Kharar

Despite this improvement, the overall situation remains grim. Punjab continues to extract groundwater at 156% to 164% of its recharge capacity, the highest rate in the country. The average rate of decline is still 1.5 times more than the rec...