Introduction: Central Ground Water Authority (CGWB) NOC

India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history. Already, more than 600 million people are facing acute water shortages. Critical groundwater resources,  which account for 40% of our water supply are being depleted at unsustainable rates. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana states that have suffered from severe droughts in recent years, The action taken by these states and their subsequent good performance on the Index, are likely driven by necessity in the face of emerging water shortages. This correlation shows, positively, that corrective action is starting in some of the areas that need it the most. 

The following key areas in which more significant improvement is required: 

• Source augmentation and restoration of water bodies
• Source augmentation (Groundwater)
• Major and medium irrigation— Supply-side management
• Watershed development— Supply-side management
• Participatory irrigation practices—Demand side management
• Sustainable on-farm water use practices—Demand side management
• Rural drinking water
• Urban water supply and sanitation, and
• Policy and governance

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Objectives: Central Ground Water Authority (CGWB) NOC

Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), constituted by the Government of India under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA) of 1986, in pursuance of the Order of the Hon?ble Supreme Court of India, has been regulating ground water development and management in the country.

Central Ground Water Authority made guidelines for NOC for Groundwater withdrawal for drinking and domestic purpose only for infrastructure projects and industries /mines and water supply agencies and Corpseed as an organization will help you with your Project.

The following establishments come under infrastructure projects

• Residential apartment 
• Residential township 
• Office building 
• School 
• College 
• University 
• Industrial Area (Drinking use) 
• Special Economic Zone(SEZ)  (Drinking use) 
• Metro Station 
• Railway Station 
• Bus Depot 
• Airport 
• Seaport 
• Highway infrastructure 
• Fire station 
• Warehouse 
• Business Plaza 
• Malls & Multiplex 
• Hospitals 
• Nursing Homes 
• Water Park & Amusement Centres 
• Resort 
• Hotel 
• Holiday home/Guest house 
• Banquet Hall 
• IT Complex 
• Logistics & Cargo and
• Clubs 

The following conditions for granting NOC for Infrastructure projects and industries/ mines and water supply agencies in terms of drinking and domestic purpose;

• Application for  NOC to Central Ground Water Authority
• NOC shall not be granted for extraction of groundwater construction activities in the project in critical/over-exploited areas.
• Quantum of groundwater for purposes other than drinking/ domestic use shall not exceed 25% of total groundwater abstraction
• Use of fresh groundwater for swimming pool and other water-based recreations are not permitted in ground water-stressed areas
• NOC for new /existing wells shall be granted only in such cases where the required amount of water is not available from the public water supply system. Once the infrastructure project is provided with adequate public water supply, it is mandatory on the part of the user to bring it to the notice of the Authorized Officer.
• If the existing well becomes defunct within the validity period of NOC, the user can construct a replacement well and intimate online regarding the same within 30 days of construction of the well. The defunct well shall be properly sealed.
• The Applicant shall undertake rooftop rainwater harvesting in the premises within 90 days of the grant of NOC and shall confirm to the Authorized Officer for verification. Alternatively, the applicant will have to pay Water Conservation Fee to the State Governments Head of Account.
• If the post-monsoon (November) depth to the water level in the area is less than 5 m.bgl or such depth as defined in State policy, no groundwater recharge is recommended. In such cases, rooftop rainwater harvested shall be stored in storage tanks to minimize groundwater withdrawal
• Installation of a digital water meter with telemetry in the abstraction structures is mandatory and confirmation of the same shall be given to the authorized officer within 90 days of the grant of NOC. Monthly water meter readings shall be recorded and annual reports of extraction submitted to the authorized officer. The server will be maintained by the Supplier of the instrument and access will be provided to Central Ground Water Authority(CGWA)
• Construction of piezometers and installation of digital water level recorders with telemetry shall be mandatory for projects requiring groundwater in excess of 500 m³/day in Safe and Semi Critical areas and up to200m³/day in Critical and Overexploited areas. The depth and zone tapped of the piezometer should be commensurate with that of the pumping well. This data shall be made available on an annual basis to the Regional Office of CGWB. The server will be maintained by the Supplier of the instrument and access will be provided to CGWA
• In case an infrastructure project is located in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area, the relevant provisions of the CRZ act shall be applicable, in addition to the conditions stipulated by CGWA
• The NOC shall be valid for a period of 3 years from the date of issue or till such time public water supply is provided to the household, whichever is earlier
• The proponent/ authorized representative of the occupants of the infrastructure project shall apply for renewal of NOC at least 90 days prior to the expiry of its validity.

Other Conditions: Central Ground Water Authority (CGWB) NOC

• The sale and supply of raw/unprocessed/untreated groundwater by unauthorized agencies for commercial use is not permitted.
• The referral letter shall contain verification on the quantum of water for the industry/project with a detailed break up of groundwater consumption, recycle & reuse of the wastewater, so that the wastage of the precious resource can be avoided. In case this is not given by the referral authority, the applicant should obtain a letter from the Industries Department/ Project Sanctioning Authority/ local municipal authority in urban areas on the same lines
• No application for NOC shall be entertained without referral letters from the statutory authority
• The CRZA rules and regulations shall be applicable wherever in vogue.
• No permission would be required for the withdrawal of groundwater from any area if withdrawal is done through non-energized means.
• The mandatory clause on rainwater harvesting may be relaxed in case of waterlogged/shallow water levels (< 5 m blog during post-monsoon or as per state policy) areas
• Contaminated/ treated water shall not be used for recharge to groundwater. The treated water should be fully used by the proponent or any other agency, that can utilize it without contaminating the underlying aquifer/water bodies. 
• The abstraction structure should be located inside the premises of the project property
• The piezometer is to be installed/constructed at a minimum of 50 m distance from the pumping well through which groundwater is being withdrawn. The diameter of the piezometer should be about 4” to 6”
• The depth of the piezometer should be the same as in the case of the pumping well from which groundwater is being abstracted. If, more than one piezometer is installed the second piezometer should monitor the shallow groundwater regime. It will facilitate shallow as well as deeper groundwater aquifer monitoring.
• The measuring frequency should be monthly and the accuracy of measurement should be up to cm. The reported measurement should be given in meters up to two decimals.
• For measurement of water level, a sounder or Automatic Water Level Recorder (AWLR) with a telemetry system should be used for accuracy.
• The measurement of the water level in a piezometer should be taken, only after the pumping from the surrounding tubewells has been stopped for about four to six hours
• All the details regarding coordinates, reduced level (with respect to mean level), depth, zone tapped and assembly lowered should be provided for bringing the piezometer into the National Hydrograph Monitoring System of Central Ground Water Board, and for its validation
• The groundwater quality has to be monitored twice in a year during pre-monsoon (May/June) and post-monsoon (October/November) periods. Quality may be got analyzed from NABL accredited lab. Besides, one sample (1 lt capacity bottle) of groundwater collected during pre-monsoon after proper packing may be sent to the concerned Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, for chemical analysis.
• A permanent display board should be installed at Piezometer/ Tubewell site providing the location, piezometer/ tubewell number, depth, and zone tapped of the piezometer/tubewell for standard referencing and identification.

All conditions laid down in the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order dated August 6, 2010, are as follows

• The owner of the land/ premises, before taking any steps for constructing a bore well/ tube well must inform in writing to the concerned authorities in the area, i.e., District Collector/ District Magistrate/ Sarpanch of the Gram Panchayat/ any other Statutory Authority/ concerned officers of the Department of Ground Water/ Public Health/ Municipal Corporation, as the case may be, about the construction of bore well/ tube well.
• Registration of all the drilling agencies, namely, Government/ Semi-Government, Private, etc. should be mandatory with the district administration/ Statutory Authority wherever applicable
• Erection of the signboard at the time of construction near the well including the Complete address of the drilling agency at the time of construction/ rehabilitation of well and the Complete address of the user agency/ owner of the well
• Erection of barbed wire fencing or any other suitable barrier around the well during construction.
• Construction of cement/ concrete platform measuring 0.50x0.50x0.60 meters (0.30 meters above ground level and 0.30 meters below ground level) around the well casing.
• Capping of good assembly by welding steel plate or by providing a strong cap to be fixed to the casing pipe with bolts & nuts.
• In case of pump repair, the tube well should not be left uncovered.
• Filling of mud pits and channels after completion of works.
• On completion of the drilling operations at a particular location, the ground conditions are to be restored as before the start of drilling
• District Collector should be empowered to verify that the above guidelines are being followed and proper monitoring checks about the status of boreholes/ tube wells are being taken care of through the concerned state/ Central Government agencies.
• District Collector should be empowered to verify that the above guidelines are being followed and proper monitoring checks about the status of boreholes/ tube wells are being taken care of through the concerned state/ Central Government agencies.
• Any violation of the directions of the Central Ground Water Authority and conditions laid down in the NOC will attract legal action under sections 15 to 21 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 

Documents Required for CGWB NOC

• Details of Applicant
• Details of Land
• Approval letter from the State Government Agency for the project (Consent to establish)
• Referral letter from statutory bodies viz. Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Change (MoEF&CC) or State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) or State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SLEIAA) or Urban/ Rural Development Authority where MoEF&CC/ SPCB/ SEAC/ SLEIAA do not issue referral letter
• A copy of the completion certificate issued by the competent authority.
• Approved plan of water supply in case of water supply agency
• Details of water requirement computed as per Central Public Health & Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO) norms (Annexure III), taking into account recycling/ reuse of treated water.
• Certificate of nonavailability of water from the concerned water supply agency in case of infrastructure project/ industry/ mine.
• A schematic diagram (Flow Diagram) showing details of source-wise water availability including quantum being/to be provided by public water supply agency, water requirement and recycled water use at each stage for new projects.