Lok Sabha Question No. 5379 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-25
Subject: Exploitation of Ground Water by Builders and Industries
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Bhola Singh, Sakshi Ji Swami Maharaj

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

## †5379 ANSWERED ON 25 .0 7.2019

## EXPLOITATION OF GROU ND WATER BY BUILDERS AND INDUSTRIES

## †5379. SHRI BHOLA SINGH DR. SWAMI SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether there is any existing provision regarding the exploitation of builders/industrial institutions;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not , the reasons therefor;

(c)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  due  to  over  exploitation  of  ground  water  in  se including  Delhi/  NCR  by  the  builders/industrial  institutions,  the  ground  water  table  ha alarming low level;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the remedial measures taken in this direction;

(e) whether the Central Pollution Control Board has prepared a report on the directions of Green Tribunal (NGT) which has a provision to impose fine on builders/industria l institutions exploiting ground water; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a)  &  (b) CentralGround  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  Section  3(3)  of 'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground  water development and management in the Country. CGWA grants No Objection Certificates for ground water abstraction, in 23 States/UTs, through guidelines which are modified from time to time. Rest /  UTs  are  regulating  ground  water  development  through  their  own  Acts,  notifications  or  G Orders. Further, CGWA has also appoin ted the District Magistrate / District Collector of each District and Regional Directors of CGWB in these States as Authorized Officers, with power compliance of NOC conditions.

As per thexisting groundwater regulation guidelines, industries are mandatorily requ undertake groundwater recharge measures commensurate to the quantum of water abstraction app CGWA. Further, CGWA, in its latest water regulation guidelines notified vide Gaze tte Notification SO 6140(E)  dated  12.12.2018  had  proposed  introduction  of  Water  Conservation  Fee  (WCF).  How Hon'ble NGT vide its order dated 03.01.2019 has directed that the notified guidelines may not be given effect to.

ground

(c)  &  (d) Ground  water  levels  in  various  parts  of  the  Country  are  declining  because  of  c withdrawal due to reasons such as increased demand of fresh water for various uses, vagarie increased population, industrialization & urbanization etc.

The Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country are being periodically assessed jo Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments. As per the 2017 assessment, out total 6881 assessment units (Block/ Taluks/ Mandals/ watersheds/ Firkas) in the country, 1186 units in States/UTs have been categorized as 'Over -exploited'  where  Annual  Ground  Water  Extraction  is  more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource. Details are given in Annexure .

Government of India has launched the J al Shakti Abhiyan which is a time bound campaign wit a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water condit water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. In this regard, team of officers from Cen ernment along - with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti have been deputed to visit water st and  to  work  in  close  collaboration  with  district  level  officials  to  undertake  suitable  d supply side interventions .

Centra l  Government  supports  construction  of  water  harvesting  and  conservation primarily  through  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS) , Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana -Watershed  Development  Component  (PMKSY- WDC)  and PM KSY - Per  Drop  More  Crop.  Under  these  Schemes,  17,56,207  water  conservation  and  recha structures have been const ructed at an expenditure of Rs. 23,435.67 crore in the last three years.

In addition, for enhancing water use efficiency, the Central Government is promoting micro -irrigation systems, Command Area Development works, Participatory Irrigation Management, rec reuse of water amongst others.

Water  being  a  State  subject,  initiatives  on  water  management  including  conserva artif icial recharge to ground water in the Country is primarily States' responsibility. The other important initiatives taken up are available at the following URL:

http://mowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Jun2019.pdf .

(e)  &  (f) The  Hon'bl e  National  Green  Tribunal  (NGT) has  directed Central  Pollution  Control  Board (CPCB) toconstitute a mechanism to deal with individual cases of viol tion of norms, a s existed prior to 12/12/2018 and to determine the environment compensation to be recovered or other coercive mea be taken, including prosecution, for past illegal extracti on of ground water, as per law.

In compliance to he order , CPCB has submitted a report in this regard to Hon'ble NGT.

*****

Annexure referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (c ) &  (d)  of  Unstarred  Question  No. † 5379  to  be answered in Lok Sabha on 25.07.2019 regarding ' Exploitation of Ground Water by Builders and Industries '

| S.No.   | States / Union Territories   | Total No. of   | Over-Exploited   | Over-Exploited   |
|---------|------------------------------|----------------|------------------|------------------|
|         |                              | Assessed Units | Nos.             | %                |
| States  |                              |                |                  |                  |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh               | 670            | 45               | 7                |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh            | 11             | 0                | 0                |
| 3       | Assam                        | 28             | 0                | 0                |
| 4       | Bihar                        | 534            | 12               | 2                |
| 5       | Chattisgarh                  | 146            | 0                | 0                |
| 6       | Delhi                        | 34             | 22               | 65               |
| 7       | Goa                          | 12             | 0                | 0                |
| 8       | Gujarat                      | 248            | 25               | 10               |
| 9       | Haryana                      | 128            | 78               | 61               |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh             | 8              | 4                | 50               |
| 11      | Jammu & Kashmir              | 22             | 0                | 0                |
| 12      | Jharkhand                    | 260            | 3                | 1                |
| 13      | Karnataka                    | 176            | 45               | 26               |
| 14      | Kerala                       | 152            | 1                | 1                |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh               | 313            | 22               | 7                |
| 16      | Maharashtra                  | 353            | 11               | 3                |
| 17      | Manipur                      | 9              | 0                | 0                |
| 18      | Meghalaya                    | 11             | 0                | 0                |
| 19      | Mizoram                      | 26             | 0                | 0                |
| 20      | Nagaland                     | 11             | 0                | 0                |
| 21      | Odisha                       | 314            | 0                | 0                |
| 22      | Punjab                       | 138            | 109              | 79               |
| 23      | Rajasthan                    | 295            | 185              | 63               |
| 24      | Sikkim                       | 4              | 0                | 0                |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu                   | 1166           | 462              | 40               |
| 26      | Telangana                    | 584            | 70               | 12               |
| 27      | Tripura                      | 59             | 0                | 0                |
| 28      | Uttar Pradesh*               | 830            | 91               | 11               |
| 29      | Uttarakhand                  | 18             | 0                | 0                |
| 30      | West Bengal **               | 268            | 0                | 0                |
|         | Total States                 | 6828           | 1185             | 17               |
|         | Union Territories            |                |                  |                  |
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar            | 36             | 0                | 0                |
| 2       | Chandigarh                   | 1              | 0                | 0                |
| 3       | Dadra & Nagar Haveli         | 1              | 0                | 0                |
| 4       | Daman & Diu                  | 2              | 0                | 0                |
| 5       | Lakshdweep                   | 9              | 0                | 0                |
| 6       | Puducherry                   | 4              | 1                | 25               |
|         | Total UTs                    | 53             | 1                | 2                |
|         | Grand Total                  | 6881           | 1186             | 17               |

## Note

Blocks - Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Haryana,  Jharkhand,  Kerala,  M.P.,  Manipur,  Mizoram,  Orissa,  Punjab,  Rajasthan,  Trip Uttarakhand, West Bengal Taluks - Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra

Mandals -Andhra Pradesh,

Telangana

Districts/Valley -Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland

Islands -Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Firka- Tamil Nadu

Region -Puducherry

UT -Chandigarh, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu

Tehsil - NCT Delhi

*Uttar Pradesh: There are total 820 block and 10 Cities

**The Ground Water resources assessment as on 2013 has been considered for the state of West Bengal