19 hours ago
NGT notices to authorities over alleged groundwater regulation violations in Pune
PUNE The National Green Tribunal (NGT), western zone bench, has issued notices to key government authorities in Maharashtra over alleged large-scale violations of the Central Ground Water Authority's (CGWA) guidelines for groundwater extraction in the Pune district. NGT has issued notices to government authorities in Maharashtra over alleged violations of the Central Ground Water Authority's guidelines for groundwater extraction in Pune district. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))
The order was passed during a hearing on June 19 in response to a petition filed by city-based citizen Pushkar Kulkarni.
The tribunal directed that notices be served to the district collector of Pune, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA), and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). These respondents have been asked to file their replies within four weeks.
The applicant, represented by advocate Ronita Bhattacharya, submitted that while 477 entities have obtained No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the CGWA to extract groundwater in Pune district, the actual number of users is likely to be significantly higher.
She claimed that many entities are operating without proper authorization and even those with NOCs are failing to comply with the mandatory conditions laid out in the CGWA's 'Guidelines to Regulate and Control Groundwater Extraction in India.'
The petition specifically highlighted two key violations of the guidelines. Firstly, several entities have not installed purpose-built observation wells (piezometers) to monitor groundwater levels, as required under guideline 9.0. Secondly, many have failed to conduct and submit annual groundwater quality analysis, which is to be performed during April–May and uploaded to CGWA's web portal. These lapses make it difficult to assess the extent of groundwater depletion and contamination risks in the region.
The applicant had filed Right to Information Act (RTI) applications seeking comprehensive information on the entities permitted to extract groundwater and their compliance status. While the CGWA provided a public link listing the NOCs issued, it stated that compiled data on actual water extraction and compliance records was not available. Based on the information accessed and analysis of public records, the applicant urged the tribunal to direct strict enforcement of CGWA guidelines by local and state-level authorities.
The NGT bench, comprising judicial member Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni, noted the seriousness of the allegations and deemed it appropriate to seek formal responses from the concerned authorities.
The case has been listed for next hearing on August 1.
