Industries should use recycled ground water
The Water Ministry is planning amendments to
a Bill on groundwater management that will impose restrictions on how
companies, farmers and various groups can use groundwater.
Key provisions:
Industries can only use recycled water, and
activities such as gardening would require the use of treated sewage water.
- Extracting pristine water from aquifiers, the norm
in much of the country, would be sharply regulated. Failing to adhere to
this would invite “stringent punishment”.
Background:
Earlier this year, the Ministry had made
public a draft Bill that proposed significant changes to the way groundwater
would be regulated.
- This included guaranteeing every individual a
certain amount of water “for life” and protecting groundwater from undue
exploitation and pollution as well as mandating the use of rainwater
harvesting in residential projects.
- However, this version of the Bill only demands that
users “give priority” to recycling water and does not compel companies and
other stakeholders to use recycled water.
Why a law in this regard is necessary?
Groundwater depletion is among the grave
ecological threats that the country faces.
- Around 85 %of drinking water and 65% of water for
irrigation is sourced from groundwater.
However, previous plans to address the
problems have been stalled as water is a State subject and, existing laws give
the owners of a piece of land complete right over its groundwater.
