Formation of CGWA

               Central Ground Water Board has been constituted as the Authority in pursuance of the Hon'ble Supreme Court's order by the Ministry of Environment & Forests vide Gazette Notification dated 14t" January, 1997.

MANDATE

                REGULATION AND CONTROL OF GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY

FUNCTIONS

               Exercise of powers under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for issuing directions and taking such measures in respect of all the matters referred to in sub-section (2) of the said Act.

To resort to the penal provisions contained in sections 15 to 21 of the said Act.

              To regulate indiscriminate boring and withdrawal of ground water in the country and to issue necessary regulatory directions with a view to preserve and protect the ground water.

              CGWA has been vested with powers under EPA, which entails measures to protect and improve environment in national interest. CGWA will be mainly responsible for framing guidelines and monitoring the implementation of the purpose for which the Authority has been set up.

              After its constitution in 1997, the Authority considered the following issues which required immediate regulatory measures:

1.To conserve the ground water resources and ensure its economical use.

2. To control ground water over drawl in critical areas.

3. To recharge ground water in areas of over exploitation.

4. To achieve statutory quality standards for ground water set by BIS.

5. To control discharges of ground water systems.

6. To have close liaison with State Govts. And persuade them to constitute State ground Water Authority.

7. To educate public with regards to the adverse effects of decline in water levels and pollution of ground water through mass awareness programme.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Declaration of areas as “Notified areas” from considerations of:

(a) Resource availability

(b) Ground water quality deterioration

1. Registration of ground water abstraction structures ·

2. Registration of the drilling contractors ·

3.Clearance of the projects for setting up of new industries ·

4. Design and implementation of the projects aimed at recirculation and re use of the urban and industrial waste waters, ·

5. Location of the solid waste disposal facilities for the industrial and urban areas · Conservation and recharge of ground water, ·

6.Issue of technical guidelines on all aspects, ·

7.Assuring availability of data to the planners, administrators and users, · Organization of research and development programmes, ·

8.Organizing education and Mass Awareness programmes, etc. ·

9.Interaction with R&D institutions.

10. Imposing of penalties ·

11. Evolving suitable water pricing policy.

12. Making Rainwater harvesting mandatory by law in new constructions.

13. Offering tax credit for rainwater harvesting and recharging by government