Chandigarh, Aug. 29 -- City Beautiful's groundwater extraction falls in the 'safe' category but the city's aquifers are grappling with long-term decadal depletion, severe geological imbalances, and heavily dependent on rainfall for recharge, a comprehensive assessment by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the municipal corporation (MC) revealed.

The report, 'Dynamic Groundwater Resources of Chandigarh-2025' states that the city's groundwater extraction stands at 67%, i.e safe. An assessment unit is classified as 'safe' when the groundwater extraction is less than or equal to 70%, according to the standardised scientific methodology used in the report.

This is a major improvement since 2017, when heavy pumping and low estimated re...