About 60 companies, builders in Gurugram extracting groundwater illegally: HWRA panel

                Gurgaon: After finding out that 60 firms and builders in the city were illegally extracting groundwater, the Haryana Water Resources Authoritylast week formed a committee to visit the 
sites and seal these borewells if they don't comply with norms within three weeks.Officials said on Thursday that at least four notices have been issued to these builders but none of them 
responded.Most of these sites, where groundwater is being extracted, are in New Gurgaon – an area that was until a few years ago covered by farmlands, but it is now densely populated 
with dozens of housing societies lined along the Dwarka Expressway.HWRA chairperson Keshni Anand Arora constituted a joint committee of Gurgaon chief hydrologist Pankaj Mahla, 
enforcement officers from the town and country planning department, and regional officials from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board.This panel will inspect all the sites and 
document the violations.Afterwards, the companies or builders can file to get approval for extracting groundwater within 21 days, failing which the borewells will be sealed. "The move 
marks a strong message from the state authority amid growing concerns about depleting groundwater resources. Experts have long warned about environmental costs of unchecked 
urban development in Gurgaon, where high-rise apartments, commercial complexes and industrial units have increased water demand manifold," a senior official said on Thursday.To 
ensure that the process goes smoothly, district officials have been asked to cooperate with the panel and deploy security personnel to support the committee's field visits.A final report on 
the committee's findings and actions taken is to be submitted to HWRA by June 16.Depleting groundwater levels in a rapidly urbanising Gurgaon has been a cause for concern. 
Groundwater levels in the city have been classified as ‘overexploited' since 2013 by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).TOI had reported last year that Gurgaon drew an 
astounding 214% -- more than double -- of its total extractable groundwater in 2023, according to findings of a govt study. This was largely because of agriculture, rapid industrial growth, 
housing and commercial development and population boom in these regions, the study had said.Vikram Rao, a resident of Sector 92, said HWRA's action againstillegal groundwater 
extraction could become a "model for other districts facing similar challenges"."It underscores the urgent need for compliance and sustainable resource management as Haryana 
grapples with water scarcity and ecological strain," Rao said.


Source : Times of India