Lucknow, July 27: Uttar Pradesh, which once struggled with water scarcity and declining groundwater levels, is now establishing a distinct identity in water conservation. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, water conservation has been transformed from merely a government scheme into a large-scale public participation campaign. As a result, Uttar Pradesh has achieved the United Nations' Sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-6).
The state's groundwater extraction rate has declined from 71.26 percent in 2017 to 70 percent, which is the benchmark set under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. This achievement has been made possible through collective efforts towards water conservation.
Groundwater Department Director Dr Rajesh Kumar Prajapati stated that combined efforts in groundwater conservation, rainwater harvesting, revival of traditional water sources and modern technology have enabled the state to achieve significant success in water conservation. The biggest outcome of the efforts made by the state government and the department has been an increase in groundwater recharge. The state's annual groundwater recharge stood at 69.91 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2017, which increased to 73.39 BCM by 2025. Meanwhile, the groundwater extraction rate declined from 71.26 percent to 70 percent, enabling Uttar Pradesh to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-6).
He noted that the impact of water conservation campaigns has also been visible in over-exploited areas. In 2017, Uttar Pradesh had 82 over-exploited development blocks, and that number has now come down to 44. At the same time, the number of development blocks in the safe category has increased from 540 to 563. This transformation has been made possible through scientific groundwater management and planned implementation.
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Under the Catch the Rain campaign, between 2021 and 2025, 3.39 lakh rainwater harvesting and water conservation structures were created, 1.34 lakh traditional water bodies were revived, and 14.38 lakh watershed development works were carried out. In addition, 1.33 lakh structures related to groundwater recharge and reuse were developed. These efforts have given fresh momentum to rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.
Dr Rajesh Kumar Prajapati stated that the Atal Bhujal Yojana has also played a significant role in bringing positive change in rural areas. Gram Panchayat-based Water Security Plans were implemented in 26 development blocks, resulting in several areas moving from the over-exploited or semi-critical category towards the safe category. An independent study found that out of 550 Gram Panchayats, 303 recorded an improvement in groundwater levels ranging from 0.5 to 2 metres.
The Yogi government has extensively promoted rooftop rainwater harvesting in government and semi-government buildings as well. Across the state, 1,05,593 suitable buildings were identified, of which 35,206 have already been equipped with rainwater harvesting systems. The Groundwater Department has installed these systems in 227 buildings, creating an estimated annual groundwater recharge capacity of nearly 4,252.80 lakh litres.
Under the Yogi government, nearly all departments have prioritised the water conservation campaign. Over the past few years, the Minor Irrigation Department has constructed 6,627 check dams with a storage capacity of 14 thousand crore litres and an annual groundwater recharge capacity of 10 thousand crore litres. In addition, it has renovated 1,417 ponds, creating an annual groundwater recharge capacity of 1,400 crore litres. The department has also installed rooftop rainwater harvesting systems on more than 6,800 buildings.
The Rural Development Department has developed nearly 19,974 Amrit Sarovars. The Agriculture Department has constructed 37,273 farm ponds. These efforts have improved both water availability and agricultural productivity in rural areas. All these initiatives are proving to be highly significant for groundwater recharge and water conservation in Uttar Pradesh.
