NGT plea flags “grave” water crisis across Haryana, cites policy failure

Petition says 9.82 lakh acres affected by waterlogging, salinity; seeks court-monitored panel for time-bound plan to fix imbalance.

A petition filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has flagged a “grave and continuing environmental crisis” in Haryana, marked by widespread waterlogging, soil salinity and severe groundwater depletion.

(Representative image) Over 60% groundwater units over-exploited; plea links crisis to irrigation practices, seeks expert panel for long-term corrective steps. (HT Archive)

Filed before the tribunal’s principal bench by Jai Singh, a farmer from Bhiwani district, through counsels Gaurav Arya and Naveen Bamel, the plea states that nearly 982,000 acres are affected by waterlogging and salinisation, while over 60% of groundwater assessment units are categorised as “over-exploited”. Around 174,000 acres fall in severely affected zones where the water table is as shallow as 0 to 1.5 metres, the petition claims.

The application traces the crisis to structural failure in water management dating back to the Green Revolution, citing reliance on water-intensive crops, excessive irrigation and unregulated groundwater extraction. Central and western Haryana face rising water tables, rendering farmland unproductive, while southern and eastern regions face sharp depletion. “The State today stands environmentally divided between land that cannot absorb more water and aquifers that cannot sustain further extraction,” it states.

The petition highlights crop losses, declining soil fertility, financial distress and migration, arguing short-term measures have failed to address root causes.

Prabhakar Kumar, COO of Rudrabhishek Techno Consultancy, which works on sanitation and water projects among other things, said soil salinity, waterlogging and groundwater depletion are interconnected and pose risks to agriculture and drinking water. “Waterlogging brings salts to the surface, damaging crops, while over-extraction lowers aquifers and affects water quality,” he said. Kumar added that poor drainage, unplanned urbanisation and weak water management are worsening the crisis, and called for a data-driven approach with improved drainage, protection of natural channels and better monitoring.

Advocate Gaurav Arya said: “Haryana is facing a paradox where one region is drowning due to excess water while another is running dry. This imbalance is the result of decades of unscientific water management and requires urgent, data-driven correction. “ Advocate Naveen Bamel added: “Despite ample data and government awareness, there has been no integrated solution on the ground. We have sought a court-monitored scientific committee to ensure accountability and implement long-term remedial measures.”

Invoking Article 21 and principles of sustainable development and intergenerational equity, the plea urges the tribunal to constitute a multidisciplinary committee, including experts from the Central Ground Water Board, to prepare a time-bound action plan.The tribunal will take up the matter on Thursday.