Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120453810400.htm

New Delhi

L-G revokes order on new tube-wells

Staff Reporter

No more water extraction in Delhi now

Ground Water Authority asked to report on the NOCs
Environmentalists had criticised the notification

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Lieutenant-Governor’s Office on Wednesday announced that the Central Ground Water Authority’s decision to allow boring of new tube-wells and bore-wells in South Delhi and South-West Delhi for domestic purposes after informing the area Deputy Commissioner stands revoked.

Following a meeting with officials of the Authority and the Delhi Jal Board, Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna issued the directive calling for reversal of the order.

Alarming fall

Concerned over an alarming fall in groundwater levels in the city and in the wake of public outrage over the Authority’s order, the L-G has decided that no permission be granted on individual request for installing tube-wells.

“Henceforth no water extraction would be permitted in Delhi except with the permission of the Delhi Jal Board,” read a statement issued by the L-G’s Office.

The issue of opening up of grant of No Objection Certificate to install individual bore-wells or tube-wells in Delhi was discussed in detail at a meeting chaired by Mr. Khanna on November 17.

The Authority has been asked to withdraw the delegation of power for sanctioning individual tube-wells given recently to Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Magistrates in Delhi with immediate effect.

Power withdrawn

The Authority has also been asked to draw up a data base in respect of the NOCs granted so far for digging bore-wells in South Delhi and South-West Delhi.

The Jal Board in turn will cross-check and verify authenticity and specification of the bore-wells permitted so far by the Authority through random checking. The Authority in a recent notification had permitted boring for tube-wells in South Delhi and South-West Delhi on condition that the Deputy Commissioner or the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the area be informed ten day before the digging begins.

Environmentalists and water conservationists criticised the notification on the ground that it would encourage misuse of ground water and cause a severe fall in the Capital’s water table.