Centre notifies revised guidelines for ground water use; NOC for ‘over exploited zones’ mandatory

With around one-sixth of assessed ground water units in the country facing ‘over-exploitation’, the Centre on Friday issued revised guidelines for groundwater use, prohibiting new industry and mining projects in ‘over-exploited’ zones and making it mandatory for existing industries, commercial units and big housing societies to take ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) under ‘expanded