Chandigarh, Sept. 1 -- Punjab water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Monday said the state had registered a turnaround in its groundwater situation, with fall in levels reducing from 164% in 2022 to 152.22% in 2026, as reflected in the latest assessment of the Central Ground Water Board.

Addressing a press conference here, Goyal said the latest groundwater data clearly showed the impact of state government's efforts as the annual groundwater extraction had declined from 28.02 billion cubic meters in 2022 to 26.32 billion cubic meters in 2026.

The minister attributed the slowing decline rate to groundwater recharge and reduced extraction. "Restoration of canals, rehabilitation and expansion of watercourses, laying of pipelines ...