Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is India’s apex groundwater agency. It monitors and assesses the country’s groundwater resources — the source of ~60% of irrigation and ~85% of rural drinking water — through a network of 25,000+ observation wells. Key public outputs include: annual groundwater resource assessments (state and district-level recharge, extraction, and stage of development), groundwater level and quality data (with geogenic contaminants like arsenic and fluoride mapped nationally), and the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) which produces detailed 3D aquifer maps. For researchers, CGWB data is essential for studying water stress, agricultural sustainability, drinking water security, and climate adaptation. The CGWB also publishes data through the National Water Data Portal (nwdp.nwic.gov.in) and complements India-WRIS’s surface water focus.