Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2025 Maps Groundwater Crisis: Over One-Fourth of Samples Exceed Quality Limits
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Institutions: Ministry of Jal Shakti | Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has released its Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, assessing approximately 15,000 samples gathered during the 2024 pre- and post-monsoon periods. The assessment reveals a pervasive Triple Contamination Challenge in India’s Groundwater, with over 28% of samples exceeding permissible limits for one or more parameters, posing a critical, widespread public health challenge.
The Triple Contamination Challenge refers to the three fundamental and most widespread contamination threats to India’s groundwater quality, each stemming from distinct sources. The highest frequency of contamination is from Nitrate (Anthropogenic), followed by Fluoride (Geogenic), and Salinity/Electrical Conductivity (EC) (Geogenic/Anthropogenic).
Contaminant Landscape and Monitoring Strategy:
Anthropogenic Threats: The challenge is dominated by Nitrate, which is the most widespread contaminant, exceeding limits in 21% of samples. This persistent contamination, caused by excessive agricultural fertilizers and improper waste disposal, poses a severe risk of methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants.
Geogenic Threats: Contamination from Fluoride (found in 8% of samples) and Arsenic (with 3.4% of post-monsoon samples still exceeding limits in the Ganga-Brahmaputra alluvial plains) continues to pose long-term carcinogenic and skeletal toxicity risks. Furthermore, Uranium exceedances were detected in states including Punjab and Haryana.
Sustained Suitability for Agriculture: Despite quality issues for drinking water, the groundwater remains largely suitable for the agricultural sector, with 94% of samples falling into the “excellent category” based on the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR < 10).
To manage these complex threats, the CGWB maintains a 2 km x 2 km grid-based sampling design around 340 identified hotspots to track contaminant spread. It issues fortnightly Groundwater Quality Alerts to States and central agencies as a real-time early warning system.
Policy Relevance
This report provides the scientific evidence necessary to execute the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) effectively by targeting quality-affected regions. The persistent failure to curb the widespread Nitrate contamination mandates a compulsory policy convergence between the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Agriculture on fertilizer protocols and sanitation management to protect the nation’s core water source. The systemic implementation of alerts and hotspot monitoring strengthens the foundation for a proactive, data-driven public health strategy against waterborne diseases.
Follow the full report here: Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 (CGWB)