Lok Sabha Question No. 3715 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-08
Subject: Ground Water Regulation
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3715

ANSWERED ON 08.12.2016

## GROUND WATER REGULATION

## 3715.           SHRI D.K. SURESH SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

Will  the  Minister  of  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/ UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and development, if so, the details and the salient features thereof;

(b) whether any States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Model Bill, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is taking any steps to ensure that all the States strictly implement the provisions of the said Bill; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the response of the States in this regard, if any?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) to (d) The Union Government circulated a Model Bill in 1970 to all the States/UTs to enable them  to  enact  suitable  ground  water  legislation  for  its  regulation  and  development,  which includes provision for rain water harvesting.  The Model Bill was re-circulated in 1992, 1996 and again in 2005 for adoption. The Model Bill stipulates :

- Establishing  of  State  Ground  Water  Authorities  to  frame  policies  for  administration  of  the legislation.
- Empowering the State/Union Territory Government to control and/ or regulate the abstraction of Ground Water.
- Requiring users of ground water to seek permission from the State Ground Water Authority to sink a well in the notified area.

In the revised Model Bill circulated in 2005, a new chapter on Rain Water Harvesting for Recharge to ground water has also been introduced. So far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and implemented  the  ground  water  legislation  on  the  lines  of  Model  bill.  Details  are  given  at Annexure.

Water being a State subject, necessary steps to implement the model Bill are undertaken by the state Governments.

*****

## Annexure  referred  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Q.No.  3715  for  reply  on 08.12.2016 regarding 'Ground Water Regulation'

## Status of Enactment of Model Bill by States/ UTs

| A: States Where Legislation For Regulation Of Ground Water Development Has                                                                                                                                                                                | A: States Where Legislation For Regulation Of Ground Water Development Has                                                                                                                                                                                | A: States Where Legislation For Regulation Of Ground Water Development Has                                                                                                                                                                                | A: States Where Legislation For Regulation Of Ground Water Development Has                                                                                                                                                                                |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | States/ UTs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | S. No.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | States/ UTs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 8.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Assam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 9.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 10.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Kerala                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Chandigarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 11.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 5.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 12.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Puducherry                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 6.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Goa                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 13.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | West Bengal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 7.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Telangana                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 15                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| B: States Where Initiatives Taken For Enactment Of Model Bill                                                                                                                                                                                             | B: States Where Initiatives Taken For Enactment Of Model Bill                                                                                                                                                                                             | B: States Where Initiatives Taken For Enactment Of Model Bill                                                                                                                                                                                             | B: States Where Initiatives Taken For Enactment Of Model Bill                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Andaman &Nicobar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 9.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 10.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Mizoram                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Daman &Diu                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 11.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Odisha                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | NCT Delhi#                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 12.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 5.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 13.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 6.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 14.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 7.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 15.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Punjab                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 8.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 16.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Tamil Nadu*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| #Govt. of NCT Delhi is regulating ground water withdrawal through notification * Tamil Nadu Ground Water (Development and Management) Act, 2003 has been repealed by the State Government of Tamil Nadu through Ordinance No. 4 of 2013, dated 14.09.2013 | #Govt. of NCT Delhi is regulating ground water withdrawal through notification * Tamil Nadu Ground Water (Development and Management) Act, 2003 has been repealed by the State Government of Tamil Nadu through Ordinance No. 4 of 2013, dated 14.09.2013 | #Govt. of NCT Delhi is regulating ground water withdrawal through notification * Tamil Nadu Ground Water (Development and Management) Act, 2003 has been repealed by the State Government of Tamil Nadu through Ordinance No. 4 of 2013, dated 14.09.2013 | #Govt. of NCT Delhi is regulating ground water withdrawal through notification * Tamil Nadu Ground Water (Development and Management) Act, 2003 has been repealed by the State Government of Tamil Nadu through Ordinance No. 4 of 2013, dated 14.09.2013 |
| C: States/UTs Which Do Not Feel The Need For Enactment Of Legislation                                                                                                                                                                                     | C: States/UTs Which Do Not Feel The Need For Enactment Of Legislation                                                                                                                                                                                     | C: States/UTs Which Do Not Feel The Need For Enactment Of Legislation                                                                                                                                                                                     | C: States/UTs Which Do Not Feel The Need For Enactment Of Legislation                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Manipur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Manipur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Manipur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Nagaland                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Nagaland                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Nagaland                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 5.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Tripura                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Tripura                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Tripura                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |