GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

LOK SABHA 

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2119

ANSWERED ON:10.03.2010

MODEL BILL ON GROUND WATER

ANANT KUMAR HEGDE

(a) whether the Government has circulated a Model Bill to States/Union Territories for enacting legislation to regulate and control the development and management of Ground Water;

(b) if so, the salient features of the Model Bill and the names of the States which have adopted and enacted law in this regard;

(c) whether some State Governments have raised objection to the Model Bill;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(e) the reaction of the Government in this regard?

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCESbe pleased to state:-

ANSWER

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

(SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)

(a) Yes, Sir.

(b) The Model Bill provides for establishment of a Ground Water Authority by the States/Union Territories to take up functions including issue of notification of areas for regulation of development and management of ground water, grant of permissions to extract and use ground water in the notified area under certain conditions, restrictions including mandatory construction of artificial recharge structures within a specified time and registration of existing users and drilling agencies in notified as well as in non-notified areas. The bill also provides for promotion of rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge by the Authority through mass awareness and training programmes. Ground water legislation has been enacted by 11 States/Union Territories viz. Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Pondicherry, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. 18 other States/UTs are in the process of enactment of legislation.

(c) to (e) Government of Punjab is of the view that recourse to ground water legislation needs to be given reconsideration. Four States namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland an Tripura have stated that in view of the ground water development being quite low, it is not necessary to enact such a legislation. The State Government of Sikkim is of the view that requirement of drinking water supply for the people is being done by exploiting the various steams/rivers. Therefore, enactment of legislation to control the extraction of ground water in state of Sikkim is not felt necessary. The Ministry of Water Resources is pursuing the matter with remaining States/UTs for early enactment of ground water law on the lines of modified Model Bill circulated.