Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspects Purvanchal Expressway, where work is underway, in Sultanpur Tuesday. (Express Photo)
To stop the falling groundwater level in Uttar Pradesh, the state Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to the draft of Groundwater Act, 2020 that makes registration for installation of submersible pumps mandatory. The Cabinet also made the installation of a rainwater harvesting system mandatory for all the buildings of government and private schools and colleges.
The Cabinet has also approved the provision of punishment and penalty for adulterating the groundwater.
The draft of the new law was cleared at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here.
“In urban areas, if a person is building house bigger than 300 sq metres with a submersible pump, then installation of a rainwater harvesting system will be mandatory. For this, committees have been formed from gram panchayat level to the state level… The companies involved in boring (of submersible pipes) will also have to register themselves, and every three months they will have to provide all information to the government. The motive of the new system is to improve the groundwater level. Maps of government and private buildings will be passed only if there is the provision of a rainwater harvesting system in it. A time of one year has been given for the registration,” said minister and government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh after the meeting.
No charges will, however, be applicable for domestic and farming use of the submersible pumps, and e-registration facility will be made available.
“In addition to this, if someone adulterates the groundwater through pipes, a system of punishment and penalty will be in place,” the minister added.
First time offenders will get a punishment, ranging from six months to one year, along with financial punishment of Rs 2-5 lakh. Second-time offenders will get 2-5 years in jail with a penalty of Rs 2-5 lakh. Similarly, the third time offender will get 5-7 years in jail and a penalty of Rs 10-20 lakh.