WATER AUTHORITIES

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
Government of India

Mandate :  To Develop and disseminate technologies, and monitor and implement
national policies for the Scientific and Sustainable development and management of
India's Ground Water Resources, including their exploration, assessment, conservation,
augmentation, protection from pollution and distribution, based on principles of
economic and ecological efficiency and equity.

Vision :  Sustainable Development and Management of Ground Water Resources of the

Country.
Central Ground Water Authority has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act,
1986 to regulate and control development and management of ground water resources in the country.
Powers & Functions:
The Authority has been conferred with the following powers: 

(i)   Exercise of powers under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for issuing directions and taking
such measures in respect of all the matters referred to in sub-section(2) of section 3 of the said Act.
(ii)   To resort to penal provisions contained in sections 15 to 21 of the said Act.
(iii)  To regulate and control, management and development of ground water in the country and to issue necessary
regulatory directions for the purpose.
(iv)  Exercise of powers under section 4 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the appointment of officers.

Regulatory measures :
•The Central Ground Water Authority is regulating withdrawal of ground water by industries/ projects in 802 Over-
exploited and 169 Critical Assessment Units. List of these critical areas has been circulated to the State Pollution
Control Boards and Ministry of Environment & Forests which refer the new industries/ projects to CGWA for
obtaining permission.
•CGWA has notified 162 critical/ overexploited areas in parts of NCT Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh,
Rajasthan, MP, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, UT of Puducherry and UT of Diu for
control and regulation of development of ground water resources. For enforcement of the regulatory measures in
these areas, concerned Deputy Commissioners/ District Magistrates have been directed under Section 5 of
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate ground water development in these notified areas.
•Construction of new ground water structures is prohibited in the notified areas. Permission of drilling tubewells is
being granted only to the Govt. agencies responsible for drinking water supply.
 
Ground Water Legislation :
To enable the States to enact Ground Water Legislation, a Model Bill to Regulate and Control Development of
Ground Water has been circulated by the Ministry OF Water Resources to all the States/UTs. So far the states of
Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territories of Lakshadweep
and Pondicherry have enacted and implemented ground water legislation.
SUMMARY

• Quantification of ground water resources is one of the major inputs in planning ground
water development and management in the country.

• The resource assessment and categorization of assessment units form a basis for
implementing various ground water management plans and schemes.

• In order to standardize methodology for computation of ground water resources various

special studies have been carried out in different hydrogeological conditions throughout the
country.

• In this regard, Central Ground Water Board undertook water balance studies between 1974
and 1985 through 3 domestic and 9 bilateral (both side) projects with assistance from
UNDP(Nations Development Programme), SIDA (Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency), UK and Canada.

• These projects covered both soft and hard rock formations in various places throughout the
country. Various R&D studies/ collaborative projects on ground water assessments were
also executed by the NABARD(National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development),
Academic Institutions and State agencies. Findings of these projects helped in better
understanding of the ground water system and led to formulation of methodology for
estimation of annually replenish able ground water resources of the country.
GEC (Ground water estimation committee ) – supervising and enhancing the ground water
status around the world.
Other Authorities

• Delhi jal board

• Public Health Engineering Department
• Water supply and sewerage board
• Central Pollution Control Board
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Mo.E.F.C).

General organizational structure

CPCB is led by its Chairman following by the Member Secretary. The CPCB performs

its various functions through the following nine major project\ budget heads.

• Pollution assessment (survey and monitoring).

• R&D and laboratory management.
• Development of standards and guidelines for industry specific emissions and
effluents standards
• Training
• Information database management and library
• Pollution control technology
• Pollution control enforcement
• Mass awareness and publications
• Hazard waste management