MANGALURU: Data presented in the Lok Sabha on Thurday revealed that five districts of the state overexploited groundwater in 2025. Kolar leads with a staggering 184.43% groundwater extraction, followed by Bengaluru Urban at 177.28% and Chikkaballapura at 165.66%. Bengaluru Rural (146.78%) and Chitradurga (133.04%) also fall in the over-exploited category, largely due to intensive irrigation, rapid urbanisation and rising domestic demand.
In contrast, water-rich districts such as Uttara Kannada (30.54%), Udupi (32.83%) and Dakshina Kannada (45.71%) continue to show low levels of groundwater extraction, aided by better rainfall and natural recharge. Despite these concerns, the state's overall groundwater position remains within limits.
As per the 2025 assessment, the state recorded 19.27 billion cubic metres (BCM) of annual recharge, with 17.41 BCM deemed extractable. The total extraction stands at 11.58 BCM, translating to 66.49% usage, which is considered sustainable at the aggregate level but masks severe regional imbalances.
Long-term groundwater trends present a more positive picture. Comparing post-monsoon 2025 data with the decadal average (2015-2024), 68.6% of wells across the state recorded a rise in water levels, while 31.1% showed a decline. District-wise data reveals strong performance in several parts of the state. Ballari emerged as a top performer, with 85.7% of wells showing a rise, while Tumakuru reported over 93% wells.
Chikkaballapura and Dharwad also recorded strong gains, with more than 85% and 94% rise respectively. Belagavi, Hassan and Bidar reported over 80-90% wells showing improvement, reflecting effective groundwater recharge.