Rajya Sabha
Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, had circulated a Model Bill in the year 1970, which was re-circulated in 1992 and again in 1996 to all the States/Union Territories to enable them to enact suitable legislation for regulation and control of ground water development. A revised Model Bill 2005, to regulate and control development and management of ground water has again been circulated to all States/Union Territories for adoption. So far, the States of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry have enacted an implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Model Bill. The States of Gujarat and Maharashtra have also enacted/taken steps for regulating the exploitation of ground water. The States/Union Territories of Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Mozoram, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Daman & Diu, NCT Delhi, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have initiated action for preparing legislation in this context. While, the States/Union Territories of Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Punjab and Chandigarh have stated that they do not feel it necessary to enact any law in this respect, at present.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
RKJ/AM
(Release ID :11484)