Jaipur: To regulate and control the overexploitation of groundwater, the Rajasthan government has made meters mandatory on tubewells for industrial and commercial use. The provision has been made in the recently passed Groundwater (Conservation and Management) Authority Bill.

Under the said bill, permission of the government has been made mandatory as well before digging a tubewell or borewell, with a fee for extracting water and meters in tubewells for industrial and commercial use, although about 83 percent of Rajasthan's groundwater is being used in agriculture, tubewells have been exempted from installing meters.

The tariff will be fixed based on the amount of water extracted, and payment will have to be made accordingly.

The bill provides to establish the Rajasthan Ground Water (Conservation and Management) Authority for conservation and management of groundwater resources for ensuring the judicious, equitable, and sustainable utilization of groundwater resources through management regulation thereof, fixing the rates for use of groundwater abstraction, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The minister for groundwater, Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary, said that this authority will handle the entire process, from tubewell drilling licenses to boring rig registration.

The groundwater exploitation will be strictly controlled in areas declared as dark zones. A fine of up to 50 thousand rupees can be imposed for digging a tubewell or extracting groundwater without permission for the first time. Repeat offenders can be punished with up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to 1 lakh rupees, or both.

The Groundwater Authority will not only give permission but will also keep a constant watch on the groundwater level and the condition of the 'dark zone.' It will prepare a report of its activities every year and present it in the assembly. Groundwater conservation and management committees will also be formed at the district level. These committees will make plans at the local level and get them implemented.

In fact, groundwater exploitation is becoming a serious problem in Rajasthan. Out of the total 302 blocks of the state, 219 blocks have been declared 'overexploited.' In many areas, the water level is falling by an average of 10 meters every year. According to the 2022 post-monsoon survey, the groundwater level in different areas of the state has been recorded from 0.15 meters to 190.40 meters below the ground.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said that this bill will curb uncontrolled groundwater exploitation and monitoring the situation in areas declared as dark zones will be easy.