State Level Committee Meeting on Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment of UT Chandigarh
Chandigarh, March 11, 2025: A meeting of the State Level Committee (SLC) for Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment of UT Chandigarh was held today under the chairmanship of Sh. Mandip Singh Brar, IAS, Home Secretary, UT Chandigarh at the UT Secretariat, Sector 9, Chandigarh.
The meeting commenced with a welcome address by Shri Vidya Nand Negi, Regional Director (I/c), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India. This was followed by a detailed presentation by Sh. Aditya Sharma, Scientist B, CGWB, on the Dynamic Ground Water Resources of Chandigarh UT as of March 2024.
Overall, groundwater extraction for drinking, industrial, and irrigation purposes has decreased, while groundwater recharge has improved due to various water conservation efforts and recharge initiatives.
A significant improvement observed in the Stage of Ground Water Development, which has reduced from 75% in 2023 to 66% in 2024. Consequently, Chandigarh’s groundwater status has shifted from the Semi-Critical category to a Safe condition.
CGWB also highlighted two distinct groundwater scenarios within Chandigarh UT:
North and North-Eastern regions have deeper groundwater levels and serve as key groundwater recharge zones.
South-Western regions have shallow water levels, requiring a cautious approach toward water extraction.
Based on these findings, CGWB recommended:
More water conservation activities in North and North-Eastern parts to enhance groundwater recharge.
Discouraging excessive water conservation efforts in South-Western areas where water levels are already shallow.
Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh is utilising STP treated water as a Resource and about 20 MGD treated water using for green belt development which is the best effort of Chandigarh and best example of the management.
During the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Sh. Mandip Singh Brar, IAS, formally released the report on Dynamic Ground Water Resources as of March 2024.
This assessment will serve as a critical reference for future water management policies and conservation strategies in UT Chandigarh.
