How to apply for CGWA permission for groundwater boring?

The Central Ground Water Board was formed on the orders of the Honble Supreme Court in Civil Writ Petition No 4677 of 1985, MC Mehta Vs Union of India, vide notification number S.O. 38 (E), dated the 14th January, 1997, to exercise powers under sub section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, to regulate and monitor ground water management and development, and to exercise certain powers and perform certain functions in accordance with the Act.

The Authority has been regulating ground water development and management by issuing "No Objection Certificates" for ground water extraction to industries, infrastructure projects, mining projects, and other projects, and has framed guidelines in this regard from time to time that are applicable in twenty-two states and two union territories where ground water development is not controlled by the state.

To ensure the country's water supplies are managed sustainably, groundwater abstraction guidelines have been established to control groundwater extraction and conserve the country's limited groundwater resources.

These guidelines will take effect immediately upon publication in the Gazette and will supersede all previous guidelines provided by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

These guidelines will be applicable in India. Ground water abstraction will continue to be governed by the Central Ground Water Authority in States/UTs that do not control ground water abstraction.

Furthermore, where States/UTs have issued their own groundwater abstraction guidelines that conflict with the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) guidelines, the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) guidelines will take precedence. However, if the guidelines followed by such States/ Uts contain some more stringent provisions than the CGWA guidelines, the States/ Uts Authorities can give effect to those provisions in addition to the CGWA guidelines. States will propose additional requirements or parameters based on local hydro-geological conditions, which will be reviewed by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)/Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, before being accepted.

Unless expressly exempted under Paragraph 1.0 below, all new/existing industries, industries seeking expansion, infrastructure projects, and mining projects abstracting ground water will be required to obtain a No Objection Certificate from the Central Ground Water Authority or, as the case may be, the concerned State/UT Ground Water Authority. The entire process of obtaining a No Objection Certificate will be conducted entirely electronically using a web-based application framework.

All State Ground Water Authorities/ Organizations must prepare water management plans for all Over-exploited, Critical, and Semi-critical assessment units, beginning with Over-exploited units. Plans for water supply must be checked and revised on a regular basis. Water management plans, data on water availability and shortage, and related policies shall be posted on the websites of the Central Ground Water Authority and the State Ground Water Authority.

List of States/Union territories where ground water extraction is being regulated by Central Ground Water Authority(CGWA)

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

2. Assam 3. Arunachal Pradesh

4. Bihar

5. Chhattisgarh

6. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

7. Gujarat

8. Haryana

9. Jharkhand

10. Madhya Pradesh

11. Maharashtra

12. Manipur

13. Meghalaya

14. Mizoram

15. Nagaland

16. Odisha

17. Punjab

18. Rajasthan

19. Sikkim

20. Tripura

21. Uttar Pradesh

22. Uttarakhand

23. Andhra Pradesh (only mining projects)

24. Telangana (only mining projects)

List of States which are not covered and regulated by Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)

1. Karnataka
2. Kerala
3. Goa
4. Himachal Pradesh
5. Jammu and Kashmir
6. West Bengal
7. Tamil Nadu

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