Uttar Pradesh’s groundwater conservation and water management initiatives are delivering significant results. Thanks to the state government’s new water policy and adoption of technological innovations, groundwater levels have improved in 566 out of 826 development blocks across the state.

This transformative progress has positioned Uttar Pradesh as a model not just for other states but for the entire nation.

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Among the major improvements, 29 districts — including Lucknow, Balrampur, Gonda, Bahraich, Barabanki, and Rae Bareli — have substantially recovered groundwater.

Officials here on Monday claimed that the UP government’s water policy has had a far-reaching impact: of the 826 development blocks in the state, 566 are now classified as “safe.” In contrast, the number of blocks in the “overexploited” category has declined from 82 in 2017 to just 50 today. Many blocks previously marked as “semi-critical” have also moved into the safe zone. This progress results from integrated efforts involving a robust water policy, advanced technical monitoring, and active public participation.

Sources said tlhe state government installed 500 new piezometers and 690 Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLRs) to ensure accurate, real-time groundwater monitoring in the past year. These tools facilitate continuous, transparent tracking of groundwater levels, enabling timely and informed decision-making.

Furthermore, in collaboration with the Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department, the Groundwater Department has developed a comprehensive plan for sustainable groundwater management in rural and urban areas. Efforts are underway to further enhance the Groundwater Information System to ensure effective control over groundwater extraction, usage, and recharge.

The 29 districts with improvement in groundwater level are: Agra, Aligarh, Auraiya, Bahraich, Balrampur, Barabanki, Bareilly, Bijnor, Etah, Fatehpur, Firozabad, Gonda, Hapur and Jalaun.

Other districts that saw improvement include Jhansi, Kanpur Dehat, Lakhimpur Kheri, Lalitpur, Lucknow, Mahoba, Mainpuri, Mathura, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Rae Bareli, Rampur, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur, and Shravasti.