<p>Bengaluru: The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/national-green-tribunal">National Green Tribunal</a> (NGT) has formed a committee to assess the situation of <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/groundwater">groundwater</a> management and recommend measures after it noted that states and Union territories have failed to prevent the illegal extraction of groundwater and to ensure its recharge.</p><p>In its order dated April 23, 2026, the principal bench of the tribunal led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad reviewed the summary submitted by the Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA) on the action taken by states and UTs.</p><p>The CGWA report had given details of overexploitation by looking at the number of groundwater level assessment units. As per the data, the overexploitation ranged from 1.33 per cent of the assessed units in Andhra Pradesh to 75 per cent in Punjab. Karnataka (18 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (34 per cent) fell in the intermediate group.</p>.NGT slaps Rs 5,000 fine each on 12 cricket stadia for not providing groundwater use details.<p>Many states and UTs, including those regulated by CGWA, did not report the extent of exploitation. Similarly, not much detail was available with regard to action taken by the authorities in exploited zones.</p><p>The bench pointed to the gaps and said the report shows that much action is warranted by the states/UTs. Noting that the Ministry of Jal Shakti had issued guidelines to regulate groundwater extraction as far back as September 2020 and standard operating procedure for implementation of the guidelines in May 2023, it said the information disclosed by the authorities shows no effective steps have been taken.</p><p>"We deem it proper to form a committee comprising the representatives of National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), an expert from IIT Roorkee and representative from CGWA," it said.</p><p>The committee is mandated to examine the reports submitted by the states and UTs, assess lapses in implementation of the central guidelines, consider relevant material and make recommendations, including state-specific ones, to check overexploitation and recharge groundwater within the next three months.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/national-green-tribunal">National Green Tribunal</a> (NGT) has formed a committee to assess the situation of <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/groundwater">groundwater</a> management and recommend measures after it noted that states and Union territories have failed to prevent the illegal extraction of groundwater and to ensure its recharge.</p><p>In its order dated April 23, 2026, the principal bench of the tribunal led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad reviewed the summary submitted by the Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA) on the action taken by states and UTs.</p><p>The CGWA report had given details of overexploitation by looking at the number of groundwater level assessment units. As per the data, the overexploitation ranged from 1.33 per cent of the assessed units in Andhra Pradesh to 75 per cent in Punjab. Karnataka (18 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (34 per cent) fell in the intermediate group.</p>.NGT slaps Rs 5,000 fine each on 12 cricket stadia for not providing groundwater use details.<p>Many states and UTs, including those regulated by CGWA, did not report the extent of exploitation. Similarly, not much detail was available with regard to action taken by the authorities in exploited zones.</p><p>The bench pointed to the gaps and said the report shows that much action is warranted by the states/UTs. Noting that the Ministry of Jal Shakti had issued guidelines to regulate groundwater extraction as far back as September 2020 and standard operating procedure for implementation of the guidelines in May 2023, it said the information disclosed by the authorities shows no effective steps have been taken.</p><p>"We deem it proper to form a committee comprising the representatives of National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), an expert from IIT Roorkee and representative from CGWA," it said.</p><p>The committee is mandated to examine the reports submitted by the states and UTs, assess lapses in implementation of the central guidelines, consider relevant material and make recommendations, including state-specific ones, to check overexploitation and recharge groundwater within the next three months.</p>
