New Delhi, July 21 -- Even though India's groundwater situation has improved overall since 2017, the latest official assessment showed signs of renewed stress in several states.

According to a Rajya Sabha reply tabled on Monday, groundwater extraction increased in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir in 2025 compared with 2024, even as the national stage of groundwater extraction remained lower than 2017 levels.

The comparison is made with 2017 as it serves as the baseline for tracking long-term changes in groundwater use before the Centre rolled out a series of water conservation and groundwater recharge initiatives, including the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana and Catch the Rain campaign. The annual ...