New Delhi, March 5 -- Rajasthan's drought-prone Barmer district has the highest number of groundwater recharge structures built under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan scheme of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (water resources). The 47,000 structures consisting of rooftop rainwater harvesting, trenches, ponds, tanks and check dams from 2021-2024 were constucted at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore, according to the official dashboard for the scheme.

This figure stands in stark contrast with the reality: There has been no increase in the groundwater levels in Barmer district, according to the reports of the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB). In fact, most of the monitoring stations in the district reported a decline in groundwater levels in the last decade f...