Concept:

• Groundwater is the water found under the ground in soil spaces, cracks of earth's crust etc
• The presence of groundwater in soil enables the plant to take it up to fulfil its water requirements
• It also indicates a healthy soil
• Groundwater is the main source of drinking water as well as irrigation in many parts of the country.

Explanation:

• The rainwater and water from other sources such as rivers and ponds seeps through the soil and fills the empty spaces and cracks deep below the ground.
• The process of seeping water into the ground is called infiltration.
• The groundwater thus gets recharged by this process.
• At places, the groundwater is stored between layers of hard rock below the water table. This is known as an aquifer.
• Water in the aquifers can be usually pumped out with the help of tube wells or handpumps.

• Groundwater is one of the most important water source in the country especially in rural areas
• However, with increasing stress on natural resources because of human demand, groundwater resources are being depleted.
• They have also got polluted because of the use of chemicals in the soil
• A large part of the country's economy depends on agriculture, which is dependent on groundwater.
• Hence there is a need to conserve groundwater.
• According to recent reports, 22% of groundwater has already dried up. 
• Urban cities are facing huge water shortage because of low groundwater levels, especially in Tamil Nadu.