Rules and Regulations of Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA)

Introduction 

The following rules and regulations of the Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) are to be followed while granting certificate or no objection certificate (NOC) for extraction of groundwater for domestic and commercial purposes for industrial, mining and infrastructure projects. These rules are as follows:

• The applicant desirous of seeking an NOC from the Authority for extraction of ground water is required to apply online on the portal of the Authority.
• The groundwater users exempted from seeking the NOC from the Authority are as follows:
• The individual ground water users in rural and urban areas are exempted from seeking NOC for domestic and drinking water purposes only and that too where there is no Government supply of water.
• Drinking water supply schemes exist in rural areas.
• Establishments and other institutions of Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces are exempt from seeking NOC from the HWRA.
• Extraction of ground water for agricultural use is also exempt from seeking Authority NOC
• Micro and Small business enterprises using less than 10 kiloliters per day (KLD) of ground water are exempt from the NOC but required to register with the Authority

Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) rules for ground water extraction for Industrial use  

• If the area of industry falls under over-exploited assessment units, The Authority will not grant NOC for ground water abstraction to any new industry except the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
• The NOC can be granted to new industry in over-exploited areas for drinking or domestic use for work force.  But an MSME applicant engaged in packaged water, bottling plant or any other water intensive industry will not be granted NOC in the over-exploited areas

Conditions for grant of NOC for Industrial users:

• The Authority would issue NOC to industrial applicant only in areas where local government water supply agencies are unable to supply the required quantity of water.
• All industrial users of ground water will be required to adopt latest water efficient technologies so that their dependence on ground water resources could be reduced.
• All the industrial applicants abstracting ground water between 100-500 m3 /d (KLD) are required to perform self annual water audit and submit the same within three months to HWRA. The industrial applicants using more than 500 m3 /d (500 KLD) are required to perform annual water audit by a certified auditor and submit the same within three months to HWRA. All the industrial applicants will have to reduce their ground water use by at least 20% over the next three years by using appropriate means.
• The industrial applicant using more than 500 KLD of ground water are required to construct observation well and piezometer within 6 months from of issuance of NOC by HWRA, within the premises and installation of appropriate water level monitoring mechanism, shall be mandatory for industries drawing/ proposing to draw more than 500 m3/day of ground water and. Monitoring of water level shall be done by the project proponent. The applicant is also required to submit the monthly water level data to the HWRA through the web portal.
• The industrial applicant is required to install roof top rain water harvesting in premises.
• All the industrial applicants to which the NOC is granted NOC in safe, semi-critical and critical assessment units will have to pay ground water abstraction charges.  
• All the existing industries drawing ground water in over-exploited assessment units are required to pay ground water restoration charges.

For more details, please visit METACORP

Documents required for Industrial Use application

• If the ground water requirement is up to 10KLD, an affidavit on non judicial stamp paper of Rs. 10/- regarding non availability of water supply from local government agency is to be submitted
• If the ground water requirement is more than 10KLD, a certificate from local government supply agency regarding the non-availability of water
• A rain water harvesting plan is to be submitted to the HWRA
• If the ground water requirement is more than 500 KLD, An Impact Assessment report prepared by an accredited agency is to be submitted along with the application.

Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) rules for ground water extraction for Mining Projects   

• Each applicant seeking NOC for abstraction of ground water for mining projects are required to make sure that water available from de-watering operations of the mine is properly treated and efficiently used for supply for irrigation in the area or for dust suppression or any other mining process  
• The applicants seeking water abstraction of more than 100 KLD for mining are required to construct observation well piezometers  along the periphery in the premises
• The applicant is also required to monitor ground water levels by establishing observation wells (piezometers) in the core and buffer zones.
• For the coal and other base metal mining projects, the applicant is required to use the advance dewatering technology by construction of a series of dewatering abstraction structures, to avoid contamination of surface water.
• All the applicants of mining need to monitor the water quality of mine seepage and mine discharge through NABL accredited laboratories
• All the applicants of mining projects withdrawing ground water in safe, semi-critical and critical assessment units are required to pay ground water abstraction charges as applicable
• All the applicants of mining projects withdrawing ground water in over-exploited assessment units are liable to pay ground water restoration charges

Documents required for application for Mining entities

• A mining plan approved by the appropriate Government Authority
• A proposal for rain water harvesting as per Model Building Bye Laws issued by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
• A complete report prepared by an accredited consultant on ground water conditions in both core and buffer zones of the mine and depth wise and year wise mine seepage calculations.

The Government fee for industrial use Application 

• For 10-100 KLD, Registration fee is 25,000/-
• For 100 – 500 KLD, Registration fee is 50,000/-
• For 500-1000 KLD, Registration fee is 1,00,000/-
• For more than 1000 KLD, Registration fee is 1,50,000/-

For renewal of the NOC for industrial use, the application fee will be half of the above applicable rates.
 

The Government fee for infrastructure use

• For Government /PSU/Semi-Government, registration fee is 50,000/-
• For all others, registration fee is 1,50,000/-
• For renewal of the NOC for infrastructure use, the application fee will be half of the above applicable rates
   

The Government fee for mining use

• For direct user, the registration fee is 1,50,000/-
• For indirect Users, the registration fee is 75,000/-
• For renewal of NOC for mining use, the application fee will be half of the above applicable rates