The assessment measures the Stage of Groundwater Extraction—the proportion of annually replenishable groundwater that is extracted every year. For Jammu and Kashmir, the assessment indicates that groundwater remains under relatively low pressure despite a small year-on-year increase of 2.46 percentage points. Compared to 2017, however, the stage of groundwater extraction has fallen by 4.74 percentage points, suggesting an overall improvement in groundwater sustainability over the longer term. Of the 6,762 groundwater assessment units—covering blocks, taluks and mandals across the country—730 units (10.8 per cent) have been classified as over-exploited, where groundwater extraction exceeds annual recharge. Delhi also remains under considerable stress with an extraction stage of 92.10 per cent.