BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Government is all set to establish a Groundwater Authority to prevent degradation and extraction of water beyond the scope of its natural recharge, the Water Resources Department is mulling cess on groundwater used for industrial and commercial purposes in the city. Although a number of IT parks and IT development centres have come up near the Info City, the Government has not made any provision for supply of pipe water from river sources. Many IT establishments are drawing gallons of groundwater for their daily use. Concerned over the huge exploitation of groundwater for industrial and commercial purposes, the Water Resources Department is contemplating water charge at industrial rate for the IT industries operating in the State. The cess on consumption of 1,000 lires of water for industrial and commercial purposes is ` 4.50. Groundwater is depleting fast in many areas due to increasing urbanisation and industrialisation. The city is also witnessing fast depletion of groundwater due to bore-wells in areas having no pipe water supply. Following allegations of large-scale exploitation of groundwater by industries in the State, the Government introduced the Groundwater (Regulation, Development and Management) Bill, 2011 in the monsoon session of the Assembly last year. The Bill envisages a Groundwater Authority to enforce various provisions to prevent quantitative and qualitative degradation and extraction of water beyond the scope of its natural recharge. According to groundwater survey, the average groundwater utilisation in the State is only 26 per cent. However, the exploitation is to the extent of 50 per cent and more in 26 blocks. The high exploitation is noticed in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts. The proposed groundwater authority in consultation with experts in the field will identify the problematic areas in the State and advise the Government to notify the areas where users of groundwater will have to seek prior permission of the Government for extraction for domestic and agricultural use. The authority will maintain a database of all existing and new wells for regular monitoring of the groundwater status in the State. All the rig owners operating in the State will be registered with the authority. The Bill proposes to make rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory in urban areas and this provision will be enforced by respective development authorities and urban local bodies. The proposal was approved by the State Cabinet on February 14 last year.
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