Gurgaon: City’s water requirement is likely to rise by around 52% in the next five years, from about 770 million litres a day (MLD) now to 1,170 MLD by 2031. The city already faces a gap of around 100 MLD between demand and GMDA’s treatment capacity, according to written submissions by environmental activist Sunil Singh in a groundwater case before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.The high court considered the submissions at its Oct 1 hearing. It has directed GMDA CEO P C Meena to convene a meeting of govt agencies and other stakeholders on Monday to examine the city’s worsening groundwater situation, and the outcome is to be placed before the court on Oct 8. The court has recorded that groundwater levels in different parts of the city are nearly 40 metres below ground level. It has asked authorities to examine the issue in detail and to explore specifically whether groundwater extraction can be discontinued in areas where GMDA water supply is available.GMDA’s two water treatment plants have a combined capacity of about 670 MLD, against present potable water demand of around 770 MLD. The remaining roughly 100 MLD is being met through tubewells operated by MCG and private builders, the submissions said.The state has drawn up a plan to raise treatment capacity in phases to around 1,170 MLD between 2026 and 2029, to meet the projected 2031 demand. Officials had told the state govt that several parts of the city were already connected to the GMDA network, while work was planned to expand coverage in other sectors.The immediate concern, however, is the dependence on groundwater to bridge the present gap. Gurgaon district extracts around 1,185 MLD of groundwater a year against an annual extractable resource of about 557 MLD, putting the stage of groundwater extraction at 212.77%, the submissions said.They also point to the loss of natural areas that allow groundwater to recharge. TERI data cited in the matter shows Gurgaon district’s built-up area rose from 189.67 sq km in 2007 to 393.54 sq km in 2019, and was projected to reach 518.86 sq km in 2025.Over the same period, the area under water bodies fell from 55.25 sq km to just 5.34 sq km in 2019. The city thus faces two linked problems: groundwater is being extracted faster than it is replenished, while urban growth is pushing up demand.A GMDA survey cited in the submissions examined 1,216 water bodies during earlier proceedings before National Green Tribunal. It found that 390 had been completely destroyed and were not retrievable, while the remaining 826 were considered retrievable in 2017.The survey identified 305 existing public water bodies covering around 393 acres, and more than 140 natural low-lying areas covering about 412 acres, that could be restored to help recharge groundwater.The submissions also flag continuing pressure on these areas. Fifty-three water bodies covering about 78 acres face dumping, levelling, encroachment, construction or changes in land use. Another 130, covering around 132 acres, are affected or threatened by untreated sewage, industrial effluent or other wastewater.A further 123 water bodies under the combined ownership of govt authorities have been identified for demarcation, fencing and cleaning to improve groundwater recharge, but the exercise has not been carried out, the submissions said. They propose restoring these water bodies, their catchments and feeder channels through a committee under the supervision of a former Supreme Court or high court judge.The submissions also point to treated wastewater as a way of reducing Gurgaon’s dependence on fresh water. HSPCB records cited in them show around 300 MLD of wastewater reaching the Dhanwapur STP location in Jan 2026. An irrigation network capable of using about 300 MLD of treated wastewater has already been laid, but it is not being fully used because not all the treated water meets the prescribed standards.The state has approved reuse of treated wastewater from four major STPs, including Dhanwapur, for irrigating around 28,000 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 282.13 crore. The submissions propose a “Zero Discharge/Maximum Reuse” system under which untreated sewage and industrial effluent would not be allowed to enter stormwater drains, natural water bodies, open land or groundwater.The submissions separately propose stopping groundwater extraction through borewells in Gurgaon, whether registered, permitted or unregistered. They call for existing borewells to be identified, geo-tagged and sealed in a time-bound manner. Existing permissions and NOCs for extraction would stay suspended during the exercise, with no new borewell, renewal of permission or increase in permitted extraction quantity allowed.They also question whether further construction or an increase in development should be allowed unless authorities can first demonstrate an assured and sustainable source of water that does not depend on groundwater.
