Just over two weeks after declaring the extraction of groundwater by 2,069 industries, including Tata Steel, Adani Wilmar, and Ramdev’s Divya Pharmacy, as illegal, the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) granted relief by extending the deadline for applying for no objection certificates (NOCs) from June 30 to September 30.
On June 27, the CGWA, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, listed 2,069 projects/units that had failed to renew their NOCs for groundwater extraction. According to a communique issued by the CGWA member secretary, the withdrawal of groundwater by these projects is illegal.
As per the “Guidelines to regulate and control groundwater extraction in India” issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti on September 24, 2020, all users except for five exempted categories must obtain NOCs from the CGWA for groundwater extraction. These NOCs are issued for 2 to 5 years, depending on the users and the area’s category.
Among the listed projects, Adani Wilmar Limited and Ramdev’s Divya Pharmacy Unit-II were due for NOC renewal. The Tubed Coal Mine project in Jharkhand had the highest groundwater extraction. The NOC for Tata Steel Ltd’s Open Cast Coal Mine had also expired.
The CGWA member secretary stated that many projects had failed to renew their NOCs and were now required to apply for renewal or face environmental compensation. The CGWA can take action against defaulting units, including sealing of borewells, suspension/closure of units, and levying of environmental compensation.
Despite some industries responding after the list was made public, 1,814 industries had not responded by July 13. The CGWA issued a public notice on Thursday, granting relief to defaulters until September-end, extending the deadline for NOC application and warning of strict penal action for non-compliance.
The CGWA regulates groundwater withdrawal in various states and Union Territories.
