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NGT plea flags grave Haryana water crisis, cites policy failure and seeks action plan
The National Green Tribunal is considering a petition by Jai Singh from Bhiwani district alleging a grave and continuing environmental crisis in Haryana caused by waterlogging, salinity and groundwater depletion. The plea presents figures for affected land and groundwater stress, attributes the crisis to structural failure since the Green Revolution, and asks for a time-bound, multidisciplinary action plan including CGWB. It warns of crop losses, soil decline and migration if short-term measures persist.
Why It Matters
The case underscores urgent water-management failures affecting agriculture and livelihoods, and could set a precedent for stronger, data-driven governance in groundwater use and irrigation policies.
Timeline
2 Events
NGT to hear petition on Thursday (as scheduled in report)
April 28, 2026
The tribunal's principal bench is set to take up the matter on Thursday, with the petition seeking a multidisciplinary committee, including CGWB, to prepare a time-bound action plan addressing waterlogging, salinity and groundwater depletion. The article notes the hearing is scheduled for an upcoming Thursday following the filing.
NGT petition filed over grave Haryana water crisis
April 28, 2026
A petition filed before the National Green Tribunal's principal bench by Jai Singh, a farmer from Bhiwani district, claims a 'grave and continuing environmental crisis' in Haryana. It states that nearly 982,000 acres are affected by waterlogging and salinisation, over 60% of groundwater assessment units are classified as 'over-exploited', and around 174,000 acres fall in severely affected zones where the water table is as shallow as 0 to 1.5 metres. The plea traces the crisis to structural failures in water management since the Green Revolution, citing reliance on water-intensive crops, excessive irrigation and unregulated groundwater extraction. It calls for a time-bound, multidisciplinary action plan, including a committee with the Central Ground Water Board, and invokes Article 21 and principles of sustainable development and intergenerational equity.