Lok Sabha Question No. 2382 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Launch of 'Bhu-Neer' Portal in Bihar
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2382

ANSWERED ON 13.03.2025

## LAUNCH OF 'BHU-NEER' PORTAL IN BIHAR

## 2382. SHRI ARUN BHARTI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether the Government has launched the "Bhu-Neer" portal for issuing groundwater withdrawal permits in the State of Bihar, if so, the details thereof and its key features;

(b)  whether  the  PAN-based  single  ID  system  and  QR  code-enabled  NOCs  ensure  transparency  and efficiency, if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether  the  "Bhu-Neer"  portal  plays  a  role  in  addressing  challenges  related  to  groundwater management and withdrawal in the State of Bihar, if so, the details thereof;

(d)  whether  the  portal  aligns  with  the  objectives  of  sustainable  water  use  and  its  impact  on  water conservation efforts, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government has taken any steps to expand the adoption of the portal across the State of Bihar, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) & (b) 'Bhu-Neer', which is new state of the art portal, has been recently rolled out by the Central Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  under  the  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti,  for  the  purpose  of  providing  a smooth and efficient mechanism for regulation of ground water development and management in the country  by  providing  a  quick  and  easy  to  use  platform  for  filing  No  Objection  Certificate  (NOC) applications for ground water abstraction. Applications seeking NOC for ground water abstraction can be filed on the Bhu-Neer portal by different categories of project proponents/users situated in any of the 19 States/UTs where the ground water regulation is being done by CGWA, which includes Bihar.

The  portal  is  developed  with  several  advanced  yet  simple  features  so  as  to  ensure  transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in groundwater usage. Some of the latest and user-friendly features of BhuNeer  portal  include, Check  eligibility feature  for  knowing  the  eligibility  before  applying, Online charges calculator, Query module for one-to-one interaction with CGWA officials, Real time SMS and e-mail alerts on the status of application etc. In particular, the feature of PAN based Single ID system provides ease of access and integration with other modules and payment gateways and QR code enabled NOCs feature has been created for enhanced security and ease of verification.

(c) & (d) The  Bhu-Neer  portal  is  for  the  purpose  of online application  and  processing  of  NOC  for extraction  of  ground  water  by industries,  infrastructure  projects  and  mining  projects  as  per  the Guidelines  dated  24.09.2020  notified  by  M/o  Jal  Shakti.  The  portal  has  been  designed  for  effective implementation  of  the  said  Guidelines  for  groundwater  regulation,  thus  playing  a  significant  role  in addressing  the  challenges  related  to  groundwater  extraction.  By  helping  in  enforcement  of  the Guidelines  meant  for  curbing  indiscriminate  extraction  of  ground  water,  the  Bhu-Neer  contributes  to sustainable development and management of ground water resources in the country, including Bihar.

Further, the portal also  seeks to make the projects comply with the water conservation measures prescribed in the Guidelines like construction of roof top rain water harvesting structures and installation of sewage treatment plants in cases meant for uses like washing, gardening etc.

(e) The  Bhu-Neer  Portal  was  launched  by  Hon'ble  Minister,  Jal  Shakti  providing  wide  publicity. Press release was also issued by the Ministry exclusively on the launch of Bhu-Neer portal with a view to provide country-wide news coverage to the subject, including Bihar.

In  addition,  CGWA  has  been  organizing  workshops  with  various  chambers  of  commerce  and conducting  Public  Interaction  Programmes  (PIPs)  to  spread  awareness  and  to  hasten  the  pace  of  its adoption by the Project Proponents seeking to extract ground water.

*****