Question : USE OF GROUND WATER BY INDUSTRY

(a) the number of mineral water plants and soft drink bottling plants functioning in the country, State-wise;

(b) the number of plants out of them to which the permission has been granted by Central Ground Water Board or any other competent authority of the Central or State Governments;

(c) the quantum of ground water used by these plants during last three years;

(d) the measures being taken to check excessive use of water resources;

(e) whether these plants extract water from the ground free of cost and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether in view of commercial use of the water, the Ministry is contemplating to fix any cost for the extraction of ground water and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE AND WATER RESOURCES (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a) State wise details regarding the number of mineral water plants and soft drink bottling plants are not maintained by the Ministry of Water Resources.

(b) As per information available Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has issued 173 ‘No Objection Certificates’ (NOC) to mineral water, packaged water and soft drink bottling plants.

(c) CGWA does not maintain the data of ground water withdrawal by the plants.

(d) CGWA has fixed norms for withdrawal of ground water by industries using ground water as raw material/water intensive industries like packaged drinking water, mineral water, soft drink manufacturing industries etc. The existing norms fixed by CGWA for extraction of ground water are given below:

Category of area as per ground	Ground water withdrawal limit
water resource assessment (2009)

Safe	Withdrawal limited to 200% of ground water recharge

Semi-critical	Withdrawal limited to 100% of ground water recharge

Critical	Withdrawal limited to 50% of ground water recharge