Lok Sabha Question No. 2688 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-01
Subject: Exploitation of Groundwater by Industries
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2688 ANSWERED ON 01.12.2016

## EXPLOITATION OF GROUNDWATER BY INDUSTRIES

## 2688.             SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  measures  to  prevent  industries  from  over  exploiting groundwater resources, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(b)  whether  collaboration  is  going  on  with  the  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Forests  to  define  quality norms  for  different  grades  of  industrial  water  in  order  to  standardise  the  design  of  reuse  system nationwide, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether Public Private Partnerships (PPP) models have been considered for infrastructure development in the water sector, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE   MINISTER  OF  STATE   FOR  WATER   RESOURCES,  RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

(DR.  SANJEEV  KUMAR  BALYAN)

(a) Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  "The  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986"  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground  water  development  and management in the Country.  So far, CGWA has notified 162 areas in the Country for the purpose of regulation  of  ground  water.   Under  the  CGWA  guidelines,  in  notified  areas,  no  permission  is accorded  to  extract  ground  water  through  any  energized  means  for  any  purpose  other  than  drinking and  domestic  purpose.     However,  for  non-notified  areas,  ground  water  withdrawal  by  industries  is regulated by means of guidelines/criteria  as specified as CGWA.

Further,  to  regulate  and  control  development  of  ground  water  by  various  users  including  industries, the  Ministry  of  Water  Resources,   RD  &  GR  had  circulated  a  Model  Bill  in  the  year  2005  to  all States / UTs  to  enable  them  to  enact  suitable  ground  water  legislation,  which  includes  provision  of rain  water  harvesting.     So  far, 15  States / UTs  have  adopted  and  implemented  the  ground  water legislation on the lines of Model bill.

(b)  Standards  for  discharge  for  various  industries  have  been  notified  under  the  Environment (Protection  )  Act,  1986  by  Ministry  of  Environment  Forests  &  Climate  Change  .  So  far  46  effluent discharge  norms  have  been  notified.  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  has  been  emphasizing  upon industries for water conservation and appropriate  guidelines / directions  have  been  issued from time to  time.  Distillery  units  have  been  directed  to  achieve  Zero  Liquid  Discharge  by  adopting  state  of art technology  for conservation  of water. A charter has  been  prepared  for  pulp  &  paper  industries for  reduction  in  water  consumption   and  industries  are complying  with it.

Ministry  of  Power,  vide  resolution  dated  28.1.2016,  have  made  mandatory  the  use  of  treated sewage water by thermal power plants, located within a radius of 50 km of sewage treatment plants.

(c)   Water  being  a  State  subject,  the  State  at  all  levels  holds  water  in  public  trust  for  the  people. Measures   including   management   and   distribution   of   water   resources   are  taken   by  the   State Governments    in  their  respective    States.  State  Governments  /    local  bodies  are  empowered    to make  such  regulations  on  water  as  is  necessary  for  its  efficient  management  / distribution  which, inter-alia,  include  inviting private  investment in infrastructure projects, such  as  water  supply, sewerage, etc.

Central  Government  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  by  providing  technical  and financial  assistance  through    various  schemes  / programmes.  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga has proposed Hybrid Annuity based PPP model to be adopted for Waste water treatment infrastructure in Ganga basin.

The  National  Water  Policy,  2012,  inter-alia,  stipulates  that  water  resources  projects  and  services should  be  managed  with  community  participation.  For  improved  service  delivery  on  sustainable basis,  the  State  Governments  / urban  local  bodies  may  associate  private  sector  in  public  private partnership  mode.  In this  process,  the prices  and service standards  would be subjected  to  regulatory control,  with  penalties  for  failure,  as  well  as  full  accountability  to  democratically  elected  local bodies.

*****