Introduction: Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) NOC

India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and millions of lives and livelihoods are under threat. Currently, 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water. The crisis is only going to get worse. By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual 6% loss in the country’s GDP.

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As per the report of the National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development of the Ministry of Water Recourses (MoWR), the water requirement by 2050 in high use scenario is likely to be a milder 1,180 (Billion Cubic Meter)BCM, whereas the present-day availability is 695 BCM. The total availability of water possible in-country is still lower than this projected demand, at 1,137 BCM. Thus, there is an imminent need to deepen our understanding of our water resources and usage and put in place interventions that make our water use efficient and sustainable.

The Central Ground Water Board, the National apex organization dealing with Ground Water under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India is vested with the responsibilities to carry out groundwater management studies, exploration, monitoring of development, management and regulation of country's vast groundwater resources.

The mandate of the Central Ground Water Board is to develop and disseminate technologies, monitor and implement national policies for the scientific and sustainable development and management of India's groundwater resources including their exploration, assessment, conservation, augmentation, protection from pollution, and distribution based on principles of economic and ecological efficiency and equity. Some of the organizations working in the field of groundwater and Corpseed are one of them to help you with NOC and other related work.

Procedure for grant NOC for Industries

NOC to industries requiring groundwater for mixed-use i.e. industrial process and drinking & domestic purpose shall be granted only for such cases where adequate public water supply/ surface water source does not exist. The applications for NOC will be considered as per the criteria given below.

Application for NOC to Central Ground Water Authority(CGWA)

• Installation of the digital water meter with telemetry in the abstraction structure immediately after completion of well is mandatory. The monthly water meter reading should be recorded and submitted to the concerned Authorized Officer on annual basis. The server will be maintained by the Supplier of the instrument and access will be provided to CGWA.
• Industries shall minimize the use of fresh ground water through recycling and re-use of waste water. The quantum of waste water so utilized and the purposes for which they are proposed to be used shall be clearly mentioned in the schematic diagram.
• All industries abstracting ground water > 500 m³/day in Safe and semi-critical and > 200 m³/day critical and over-exploited assessment units shall be required to undertake Annual Water Audit  through CII, FICCI , NPC and certified auditors and submit report of the same to Regional Office of CGWB.
• All the Industries shall be required to mandatorily implement artificial recharge measures as per norms given below.
• Alternatively industries will have to pay Water Conservation Fee in the State Governments designated Head of Account.
• Industries drawing beyond 50 m³/day of groundwater would be required to construct purpose-built observation wells (piezometer) and install digital water level recorder for continuous monitoring of ground water levels. The server will be maintained by the Supplier of the instrument and access will be provided to CGWA. Depth and zone tapped of the piezometer should be commensurate with that of pumping well/ wells. Records of ground water levels and water quality shall be submitted to the concerned Regional Office of CGWB on annual basis. 
• Industries drawing beyond 500 m³/day of ground water would be required to construct purpose-built observation wells (piezometer) and install digital water level recorder with telemetry for continuous monitoring of ground water levels. Depth and zone tapped of the piezometer should be commensurate with that of pumping well/ wells. Records of ground water levels in the piezometers shall be submitted to the concerned Regional Office of CGWB on annual basis.
• All industries will regularly monitor quality of ground water. Samples from tubewells should be collected during April/ May and November and should be analyzed from NABL accredited laboratories for basic parameters (cations and anions), heavy metals, pesticides/ organic compounds. Water quality data should be made available to Regional Office of CGWB on annual basis
• In cases where the project is located in Costal Regulation Zone(CRZ) area, the relevant provisions of CRZ act shall be applicable, in addition to the conditions stipulated by CGWA.
• NOC shall be valid for a period of 2 years from the date of issuance.
• The applicant shall apply for renewal of NOC at least 90 days prior to expiry of its validity.
• Industries like Tannery, Slaughter Houses, Dye, Chemical/ Petrochemical, Coal washery, other hazardous units, etc., which are likely to cause ground water pollution need to undertake necessary measures to ensure prevention of ground water pollution. Recharge/ injection of treated/ untreated wastewater within/ outside the plant complex is strictly prohibited 
• If an existing well becomes defunct within the validity period of NOC, the proponent can construct a replacement well and intimation regarding construction of replacement well shall be submitted online within 30 days of construction of well. The defunct well shall be properly sealed.
• In case of a change of ownership, the new owner of the industry will have to apply for a change in name of the owner supported by legal documentary proof within 45 days of taking over possession of the premises.  For more details please visit: Central Ground Water Board NOC For Water Boring

Other Conditions:-

• Sale and supply of raw/unprocessed/untreated ground water by unauthorized agencies for commercial use is not permitted
• Application for NOC shall be entertained without referral letters from the statutory authority
• The referral letter shall contain verification on the quantum of water for the industry/project with detailed break up of ground water consumption, recycle & reuse of the waste water, so that the wastage of the precious resource can be avoided. In case this is not given by the referral authority, applicant should obtain a letter from the Industries Department/ Project Sanctioning Authority/ local municipal authority in urban areas on the same lines. 
• The Costal Regulation Zone Area(CRZA) rules and regulation shall be applicable wherever in vogue
• No permission would be required for withdrawal of groundwater from any area if withdrawal is done through non-energized means.
• Mandatory clause on rain water harvesting may be relaxed in case of waterlogged/shallow water level (< 5 m bgl during post-monsoon or as per state policy) areas.
• 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 ground water 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 ground water aquifer monitoring.
• The measuring frequency should be monthly and accuracy of measurement should be up to cm. The reported measurement should be given in meter up to two decimals.
• For measurement of water level, sounder or Automatic Water Level Recorder (AWLR) with telemetry system should be used for accuracy.
• The measurement of water level in the 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 the Piezometer/ Tubewell site providing the location, piezometer/ tubewell number, depth, and zone tapped of piezometer/tubewell for standard referencing and identification
• The following conditions were laid down in the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order dated August 6, 2010.
  1. The owner of the land/ premises, before taking any steps for constructing bore well/ tube well must inform in writing 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.
  2. Registration of all the drilling agencies, namely, Government/ Semi-Government, Private, etc. should be mandatory with the district administration/ Statutory Authority wherever applicable.
  3. Erection of signboard at the time of construction near the well includes Complete address of the drilling agency at the time of construction/ rehabilitation of well and Complete address of the user agency/ owner of the well.
  4. Erection of barbed wire fencing or any other suitable barrier around the well during construction.
  5. Construction of cement/ concrete platform measuring 0.50x0.50x0.60 meter (0.30 meter above ground level and 0.30 meter below ground level) around the well casing.
  6. Capping of good assembly by welding steel plate or by providing a strong cap to be fixed to the casing pipe with bolts & nuts
  7. On completion of the drilling operations at a particular location, the ground conditions are to be restored as before the start of drilling. For more details please visit http://cgwb.gov.in/

Documents required for NOC

• Details of Applicant
• Referral letter for new/ expansion industries 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 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The referral letter should mandatorily indicate the actual water requirement for the industry for the specified industrial process.
• A valid Consent to Operate issued by the Industry Department/ Pollution Control Board.
• 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.
• Certificate regarding non/ partial availability of water supply to the industry from the concerned water supply agency.
• Consent from Local Administration (Gram Panchayat/ Municipality/ Town Area Committee/ Notified Area Committee/ Municipal Corporation/ Urban Local Authority/ Industries Department in designated industrial areas) for groundwater withdrawal in case of Beverages/ Mineral Water/ Packaged Drinking Water Industries.
• Detailed Hydrogeological report and recharge plan, if the proponent opts for implementing artificial recharge. If the proponent opts for payment of the Water Conservation Fee, no hydrogeological report would be required to be submitted.