Western RajasthanWestern Rajasthan, encompassing the arid Thar DesertThar desert, faces acute groundwater challenges due to limited rainfall (158.6–895.3 mm annually), high evaporation, and escalating demands from agriculture, industry, and domestic use. This study examines the groundwater scenario, highlighting severe depletion and quality degradation. Historically, traditional methods like step wells and reservoirs supported water needs, but modern practices, intensified by the Green RevolutionGreen revolution, have led to over-extraction, with groundwater levels dropping significantly since 1984. By 2023, the groundwater development stage reached 148.77%, with 71.52% of blocks overexploited. Groundwater occurs in unconfined, confined, and semi-confined aquifersAquifers within soft (alluvial, sedimentary) and hard (igneous, metamorphic) rock formations. Quality issues include high salinitySalinity in 21,000 villages, fluorideFluoride contamination affecting 23,000 habitations, and nitrate pollution in 20,500 villages, driven by agricultural runoff and industrial activitiesIndustrial activities. These pose health risks like fluorosis and limit usability. Proposed management strategies include integrated water resource managementIntegrated water resource management, enhanced regulatory enforcement, advanced recharge techniques (e.g., managed aquiferAquifers recharge), efficient irrigation (drip systems), and community-driven conservation. Technologies like GIS and remote sensingRemote sensing are recommended for precise monitoring. Despite initiatives like rainwater harvestingRainwater harvesting and government programs, weak enforcement and climatic variability hinder progress. Sustainable practices, policy reforms, and public awareness are critical to ensuring groundwater sustainabilitySustainability in this water-scarce region.