A steady decline in groundwater levels across the state capital over the decade is reshaping how the city accesses water, with deeper drilling, rising costs and uneven availability becoming the new normal.
In several parts of Lucknow, water is now found only at depths of 180 to 200 feet—and in some pockets, even deeper. Data from the groundwater department shows a widening gap between where water once existed and where it is now found.
The decline, however, is uneven. Central zones such as Mahanagar and Jail Road record groundwater at around 43 to 45 metres below the surface, while Faizullaganj and parts of Indira Nagar range between 35 and 42 metres. In Madhopur, levels have dropped from roughly 100 feet to nearly 110 feet.
Older, densely built areas show a sharper fall. In Aliganj, Chowk and Aminabad, groundwater is found at around 160 feet. Newer developments fare relatively better: Gomti Nagar records levels between 100 and 115 feet, while Gomti Nagar Extension and Vrindavan Yojana range between 50 and 65 feet.
“The trend is clear—the older the area and the greater the concretisation, the deeper the groundwater level,” said Aditya Pandey, assistant engineer, groundwater department.
Zone-level stress and crumbling infrastructure
The strain is not uniform, but it is spreading. Arun Singh, a groundwater department officer overseeing Zone 3 (covering Aliganj, Jankipuram and Daliganj) said fluctuations have been significant.
“Last year, the water level in certain areas under my supervision was around 240 to 260 feet. In Jankipuram, it is currently around 160 feet, which is still manageable,” he said.
But manageable does not mean sustainable. Singh noted that supply in several areas depends partly on infrastructure linked to Kathauta Lake, and falling groundwater levels are increasing maintenance demands. “Motors need frequent replacement and pipelines are being extended in most wards just to maintain supply,” he said.
What falling levels mean for households
Officials point out that the depth at which water is first detected does not necessarily mean it is usable. As upper layers deplete, water quality often deteriorates. Accessing clean water increasingly requires drilling much deeper—beyond the 240–260 feet mark that was once considered extreme.
There is also no official mechanism to track private borewells in the city or their depths, adding to concerns over unregulated extraction.
Residents count the cost
For residents, the impact is immediate and costly. In Jankipuram, Satya Prakash Trivedi deepened his borewell from 160 feet in July 2025 to 180 feet by March 2026, and expects further drilling may be needed. In Faizullahganj, frequent pump failures have forced many households to rely on expensive water tankers.
In Chinhat, a borewell drilled to 180 feet in December 2023 ran dry by May 2025. “We had to extend it to around 200 feet and only then did water start coming again,” a resident said.
Jankipuram Extension and Paper Mill Colony have been among the worst affected, with drinking water supply disrupted for days at a stretch.
Vinay Krishna Pandey, general secretary of Jankipuram Vistar Mahasamiti, pointed to a dangerous convergence of old infrastructure and a new reality. “Tubewells installed around 26 years ago are losing capacity. Water tanks are deteriorating. With a rising population and falling groundwater levels, the system simply cannot cope,” he said.
The concrete connection
Officials attribute the accelerating decline to decades of unchecked urbanisation. As built-up areas in Lucknow have expanded by 20-30% over the past decade, the open land through which rainwater once seeped into the ground has steadily shrunk. Today, much of that rainfall is channelled straight into drains, bypassing the aquifer entirely meaning the city is consuming far more than it is allowing nature to replenish.
Unless that equation changes, residents and officials alike warn, the borewells will simply have to keep going deeper.
What the numbers mean
The latest groundwater assessment (2025) shows that the city’s stage of extraction stands at over 66%, just below the semi-critical mark. Groundwater status is determined by comparing how much water is extracted with how much is recharged:
Stage of extraction (%) category
0 to ≤ 70: Safe
> 70 to ≤ 90: Semi-critical
> 90 to ≤ 100: Critical
> 100: Over-exploited
In simple terms, once an area starts extracting more water than it can naturally recharge, it gradually moves towards a crisis stage. At over 66% (overall), Lucknow is close to entering the semi-critical zone. The first clear warning sign has already emerged in Malihabad, where groundwater extraction has crossed 70%, pushing it into the semi-critical category.
www.hindustantimes.com
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