NGT order on groundwater ignored, 57 units have NOC

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, July 21

Only 57 industries and commercial companies across the state have no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to extract groundwater.

As per the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, it is mandatory for all groundwater users to get NOC from Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) for extraction of groundwater.

Following the NGT’s order, the CGWB has issued notification in which it clearly mentioned that all the users drawing groundwater without a valid NOC from CGWA are liable to pay fine as well as environmental compensation/damages to be decided by the NGT.

According to the information available, only 57 industrialists or commercial users in 14 districts have NOC from CGWA while in six districts, nobody has NOC for withdrawal of groundwater.

Sources say that over 400 registered dyeing units are operating in the city. Of these, 300 are in Sector 29 part-2 and others are in Sector 25 part-1, 2 and Sector 29 part-1. As for the illegal dyeing units, they are scattered all over the city.

The extraction of groundwater by dyeing units is about 80 million litres per day (MLD). During inspections conducted by teams of central pollution control boards (CPCB) of various dyeing and textile units in April and May, the teams found that these units were extracting groundwater without installing flow meters.

“They have not even installed any system for the recharge of groundwater,” said a senior official of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) on the condition of anonymity.

Even government units — the Panipat Thermal Power Plant, National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) — are extracting groundwater without NOC. Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) near IOCL has taken NOC from CGWB in May, said sources.

Amit Rathee, an RTI activist, said it was shocking that only 57 have valid permission from CGWA to extract water from the ground while thousands of industrial units, big developers and mining units are operational in Faridabad, Gurugram, Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Palwal, Mahendergarh, Rewari, Sonepat and Panipat.

Nem Chand Jain, an environmentalist, said that Haryana’s maximum clusters have been included in the over-exploited zone by the CGWB which is a matter of concern.

There should be a check on withdrawal of groundwater and it should be monitored by the authorities seriously, Jain added.

Dalbir Rana, Hydrologist (groundwater cell), Karnal and Rohtak division, said Samalkha and Bapoli blocks in Panipat district were notified as dark zones in 2012, but all blocks of the district were in the over-exploited category.

Around 52 unit owners in Panipat have applied for the NOC. The last date for applying for NOC is September 30, maintained Rana.