Groundwater

The report presents the dynamic groundwater resources of India based on Groundwater Estimation Committee (GEC 97) report with base year as 2004. It identifies the areas where groundwater development is at low key and the areas where groundwater development is alarmingly high. The estimation for the individual state was jointly done by the groundwater wing of the State Government and the concerned Regional Office of the Central Groundwater Board.

The act aims to manage, control and regulate indiscriminate extraction of groundwater in West Bengal and to provide against its widespread contamination with arsenic, fluoride,  chloride, iron, other heavy metals or metalloids, organic and inorganic pesticides, fungicides, and rodenticides. It provides for the setting up of a State Level Authority which shall be under the administrative control of the Water Investigation and Development Department, Government of West Bengal and shall be the apex body of all the District Level Authorities and the Corporation Level Authority.

Some of the changes proposed are as follows –

• In section 4 of the principal Act, in sub-section (1), for clauses (a) and (b), the following clauses shall be substituted, namely:-
• the number of wells that were in existence in the scheduled area immediately before the date of commencement of this Act;
• the use of groundwater in the scheduled area for agricultural purposes immediately before the date of commencement of this Act;
• the number of wells from which water is extracted for domestic purposes;
• the number of wells from which water is extracted for industries, automobile service centres, multipurpose halls and other commercial centres;
• the number of water sources both public and private;
  • In sub-section (2), for item (vii), the following items shall be substituted namely:-
  • the details of the methods  adopted for groundwater conservation and rain water harvesting;
  • the quality of water with scientific evidence;
  • such other matter as may be prescribed.

The Maharashtra groundwater (regulation for drinking water purposes) act, 1993, take protection measures for public drinking water sources such as prohibition of construction of wells within certain limits.

The various functions and powers of the authority outlined in Karnataka groundwater (regulation and control of development and management) bill, 2006, are as follows -

The key points addressed in Karnataka ground water (regulation for protection of sources of drinking water) act, 1999, are -

Himachal Pradesh groundwater (regulation and control of development and management) act, 2005

According to Himachal Pradesh groundwater (regulation and control of development and management) act, 2005  the state government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, establish an Authority to be known as “The Himachal Pradesh Ground Water Authority”.

Having regard to the potential of availability of groundwater and other relevant factors, the government, in consultation with the cell, may declare, by notification, any area in the state as a scheduled area.

The Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 repealed the APWALTA Ordinance as well as the AP Ground Water (Regulation for Drinking Water Purposes) Act, 1996. Under this Act an Authority has been constituted at the State, District and Mandal level and administrators for the same were to be appointed.

The modalities for the same appointment of the administrator, terms of office of the nominated members, resignation, removal from authority, allowances, constitution of the District and Mandal authority, meetings of the State, District and Mandal authorities have been worked out.