Karnataka census maps 14.18 lakh wells, 38,960 water bodies for irrigation planning
Karnataka's latest minor irrigation census has identified 14.18 lakh agricultural wells, 38,960 water bodies and 77,573 surface water schemes across the State.
Karnataka has mapped 14.18 lakh wells, including borewells and open wells, used for agricultural purposes, alongside 38,960 lakes and other water bodies falling under minor irrigation, as part of the seventh Minor Irrigation Census and the second Census of Water Bodies.
The well count is confined to groundwater sources tapped for farming and does not include borewells supplying urban drinking water. The water bodies surveyed cover command areas of up to 2,000 hectares. The exercise also identified 77,573 surface water schemes, among them lift irrigation projects.
Funded by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the census used 2023-24 as its reference year and covered 30,671 villages, 300 urban local bodies and 7,128 urban wards. More comparative data and findings are expected to be released in the coming days.
Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology Minister Ajay Singh said the fieldwork was completed in August 2026, with the aim of assessing the actual status of the State's water resources and enabling scientific planning for future irrigation and water conservation initiatives.
The Minister said the findings should be used to prioritise water security interventions in drought-affected areas, lake rejuvenation, groundwater recharge, the construction of check dams and tank filling schemes. He added that the data would help identify where conservation measures are most urgently needed, where recharge must be given priority, and where minor irrigation infrastructure requires strengthening, and that the government would pursue data-driven planning and technology use for efficient water management.
The census follows the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report submitted to the government in April, which showed overall groundwater extraction easing from 68.44% in 2024 to 66.49% in 2025. Annual recharge capability rose from 18.74 billion cubic metres to 19.28 BCM, while annual extractable groundwater resources increased from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM.