NEW DELHI: Individuals and industries may soon have to pay a water conservation fee besides their water bill, with the Centre proposing a charge on extraction of ground water. The plan is to slap a fee on private townships, societies, apartments, industries and recreational clubs, among others, based on the amount of ground water extracted by them. The draft guidelines for ground water withdrawal are prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources.
The draft guidelines make it mandatory for industries, mining and infrastructure projects, other than those of the government, to obtain a no-objection certificate for drawing ground water. Experts are not happy and say this will lead to further deterioration in the groundwater situation.
According to the ministry, a uniform regulatory framework for groundwater usage is required considering the growing number of litigations over water in various courts and will help go a long way in reducing discriminatory practices.
“All industries, mining, infrastructure de-watering projects, whether existing, new, under expansion and drawing/proposing to draw ground water through energised means shall need to obtain NOC for ground water withdrawal from the CGWA (Central Ground Water Board),” the draft guidelines say.
The Centre has decided to exempt farmers from obtaining an NOC for extracting water on the ground that “livelihood of farmers is dependent on agriculture’. The draft also calls for a ‘water conservation fee’ based on the quantum of ground water extraction to be paid to states.