New Delhi, April 25 -- Delhi recharged more water than it extracted from the ground in 2025, showing a significant improvement in groundwater extraction with an extraction rate of 92.1%, according to the latest annual Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) report. The report, dated November 2025 but uploaded recently, shows Delhi extracted 0.32 billion cubic metres (bcm) of groundwater in 2024-25 but was able to recharge 0.38 bcm back. Delhi's extraction rate was 100.77% in 2023-24, 99.13% in 2022-23, and 98.16% in 2021-22. Groundwater extraction over 100% means more water is being extracted than recharged, while a lower rate indicates groundwater is being left unutilised and more is being recharged. The extraction rate was 101.4% in 2020-21 and an alarming 119.6% in 2017-18. The improvement also reflected across Delhi's 34 assessment units (tehsils), with 21 classified as either "overexploited" or "critical" in 2024-25 - down from 27 such units in 2023-24. Meanwhile, the number of "safe" units rose from five in 2023-24 to seven in 2024-25. "Out of 34 assessment units, 10 units (29.41%) have been categorised as 'over-exploited', 11 units (32.35%) as 'critical', 6 units (17.65%) as 'semi-critical', and 7 units (20.59%) as 'safe'," said according to the latest report. In comparison, in 2024, 14 units (41.18%) were classified as "over-exploited", 13 units (38.24%) as "critical", 2 units (5.88%) as "semi-critical", and 5 units (14.71%) as "safe". For groundwater readings, "safe" zones are those where the ratio of recharge to extraction is 70%, meaning for every 1 litre of groundwater recharge, 0.7 litres is extracted. This can translate to an increase of up to 2 metres each year. In semi-critical and critical zones, the ratio is 70-90% and 90-100% respectively, indicating limited recharge of 0.5-1 metre each year. In overexploited zones, the ratio exceeds 100%, meaning extraction is greater than recharge and the groundwater table is only going deeper. Of Delhi's 34 tehsils, 13 were classified as "over-exploited" in 2023 and 15 in 2022. The report further said 0.23 bcm was extracted by the residential sector, with 0.08 bcm extracted for irrigation. Recharge was segregated over monsoon and non-monsoon seasons, with 0.20 bcm recharged during the monsoon alone (June-September), while the remaining 0.18 bcm came in the non-monsoon months. Shashank Shekhar, assistant professor in the department of geology at Delhi University, said the drop is fairly positive. "It cannot be attributed to a good monsoon alone. There is a sustained push to reduce illegal groundwater extraction by providing proper water connections ," Shekhar said....