Chandigarh, January 29
In order to regulate the Groundwater of the State of Punjab, the Punjab Water Regulation and Development Agency has notified “Punjab Groundwater Extraction and Conservation Directions, 2023” on 27 January 2023.
Principal Secretary Water Resources Krishan Kumar clarified that the Authority has exempted extraction of groundwater for Agriculture and for Drinking & Domestic usage and User extracting up to 300 cubic meters of water per month. The directions do not cover groundwater use for agriculture, drinking and domestic purposes.
Similarly New directions also exempt government water supply schemes, military and central paramilitary establishments, urban local bodies, panchayati raj institutions, cantonment boards, improvement trusts, area development authorities and places of worship.
Under these directions permission of the Authority will be mandatory for extracting groundwater by every Commercial and Industrial User in Punjab.