Overview
- The National Green Tribunal, in an order issued on April 23, directed a multi-disciplinary committee to recommend curbs on illegal groundwater drawal and to file its report within three months.
- The panel will include the National Geophysical Research Institute, the Geological Survey of India, the Environment Ministry, an expert from IIT Roorkee, and the Central Ground Water Authority as the nodal agency.
- The tribunal said states and Union territories had taken no effective steps to enforce national rules, citing poor use of environmental compensation under the 2020 Jal Shakti guidelines and the 2023 CGWA standard operating procedure.
- Data compiled by the Central Ground Water Authority showed the scale of violations, including over 20,000 illegal extraction points in Delhi, more than 1,800 show-cause notices in Haryana, crores in penalties in Punjab, and sealed borewells and fines in Uttar Pradesh with no compensation recovered.
- The case began after an October 26, 2023 report warned that parts of the Indo-Gangetic basin had crossed depletion tipping points, and the next hearing is listed for August 25, which could drive tighter monitoring and fund recharge projects that affect water access for cities and farms.