Patna: Bihar must urgently shift towards sustainable groundwater management as climate change and over-extraction threaten the state’s primary source of drinking water, experts warned at a state-level consultation on Saturday.
The workshop, organised by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in partnership with the Central Ground Water Board and UNICEF, brought together policymakers, engineers and scientists to assess the growing risks to groundwater, which supplies the bulk of rural households in the state.
Bihar has significantly expanded piped water access under its “Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal” scheme, reaching more than 1.8 crore rural households. But officials and experts cautioned that this progress is increasingly under strain from falling water tables, erratic rainfall and seasonal drying of sources in several districts.
Addressing the gathering, the state’s public health engineering minister, Sanjay Kumar Singh, called for a coordinated response involving government departments and local communities. While describing the expansion of piped water supply as a milestone for public health, he warned that dependence on groundwater posed a long-term risk.
“Water supply must go hand in hand with groundwater sustainability to ensure long-term access for future generations,” he said, urging a shift towards aquifer-based planning, stronger inter-departmental coordination and greater community participation.
The minister also released the Annual Report of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of Bihar 2025, which outlines the current status of groundwater and emerging challenges.
Officials highlighted the scale of Bihar’s rural water infrastructure, which includes more than 1.2 lakh piped water supply schemes and around 6.5 lakh handpumps. However, falling groundwater levels during summer months remain a persistent concern, prompting the department to focus on monitoring, maintenance and preparedness measures.
Abhay Kumar Singh, engineer-in-chief at PHED, said efforts were under way to develop “water-secure panchayats” in collaboration with the Central Ground Water Board, aiming to create sustainable local models of water management.
Additional secretary Arvind Kumar said the department had adopted a preventive approach to seasonal shortages, including groundwater monitoring across more than 8,000 gram panchayats, a statewide handpump repair drive and deployment of field teams for technical assessments. Emergency measures such as water tankers, water ATMs and round-the-clock control rooms have also been introduced to ensure uninterrupted supply.
Rajeev Ranjan Shukla, regional director of the Central Ground Water Board, noted that groundwater accounts for over 80% of rural drinking water supply in India and is the dominant source in Bihar. He warned that declining levels driven by overuse and climate change posed a serious challenge, calling for science-based management strategies.
Dr Prabhakar Sinha of UNICEF Bihar said integrating climate resilience into water systems was essential to ensure safe drinking water and improve child wellbeing.
Discussions at the workshop underscored the growing pressure on groundwater resources due to rising demand and climate variability. Technical sessions examined groundwater trends, aquifer mapping under the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme, and field-level interventions such as pond rejuvenation and community-led conservation.
Participants also emphasised the need for improved data sharing, stronger institutional coordination and greater community involvement in water conservation efforts.
The consultation concluded with a call to integrate groundwater sustainability into local planning processes and strengthen coordination across departments. Officials said the outcomes would help build technical capacity and support the development of climate-resilient drinking water systems across the state.
As climate pressures intensify, experts said sustained collaboration between government agencies, scientific bodies and development partners would be crucial to protecting Bihar’s water resources for the future.
