With Gurugram extracting more than twice its annually available groundwater resource, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Monday directed civic and district agencies to prepare plans to reduce groundwater use and increase dependence on canal water.
The district administration was also asked to identify unauthorised borewells and take action against them. Meena also called for greater use of tertiary-treated wastewater instead of fresh groundwater. The court has recorded that groundwater levels in parts of Gurugram have fallen to nearly 40 metres below ground level. The district extracts groundwater at around 212.8% of its annually extractable resource, according to submissions placed before it. Meena directed departments to submit their action plans by October 6 on reducing groundwater extraction and improving recharge. GMDA currently supplies around 10 MLD of treated wastewater to the textile industry, and officials said other industrial units would be encouraged to use it.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board was asked to monitor sewage treatment plants in group housing societies, while separate electricity connections for STPs and enforcement of the zero-discharge policy were also discussed. Rejuvenation of 142 ponds has been planned across the district, of which 68 have been completed and work on 74 is under way, according to the Haryana Water Resources Authority.
