Chennai, Feb. 8 -- The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has developed a comprehensive master plan to address groundwater depletion in Tamil Nadu through the construction of recharge structures, with an estimated investment of Rs 3,500 crore.

The initiative aims to rehabilitate areas currently classified as semi-critical, critical, and overexploited into safe extraction zones.

M Sivakumar, Regional Director of CGWB's South Eastern Coastal Region, revealed during an interaction program on groundwater sustainability at Tamil University, Thanjavur, that only 30 percent of Tamil Nadu's area currently maintains safe groundwater extraction levels.

This stands in stark contrast to the national average of 60 percent, with 246 of the state's 38...