Composition of the Authority For obtaining Permit for sinking of new well an application (Form-1) should be passed through the following Authority.
Approval from HLA will be communicated to SLA,CLA and DLA respectively and the Certificate Permit will be issued by the respective DLA.
District Level Groundwater Resources Development Authorities (DLA)
- There are 19(nineteen) District Level Authorities for 19 districts of the State.
- District Magistrate is the Chairman of the DLA.
- The office of the Member Secretary (Geologist), SWID, shall be the Secretariat of the DLA and shall act as nodal Office.
- Total no.of members of the DLA shall be limited to 20 (twenty). See Act.
- It responsible upto 50m3/hr discharge for all cases.
One Corporation Level Groundwater Resources Development Authority (CLA)
- Municipal Commissioner of the District is the chairman of CLA.
- The office of the Member Secretary Superintending Geologist,SWID shall be the Secretariat of the CLA and shall act as the nodal Office.
- It responsible from 50-100m3/hr discharge for all cases.
State level Groundwater Resources Development Authority (SLA)
- The SLA shall be under the administrative control of Water Investigation and development department and shall be the apex body of all the DLA and CLA. State Water Investigation Directorate (SWID) under the WRIDD shall act as the functional organ of the SLA.
- The office of the Superintending Geologist, of SWID shall act as the Secretariat of the SLA shall act as the nodal Office.
- Total no. of members of the SLA is consist of 18 (eighteen) nos of member.See Act.
West Bengal High Level Groundwater Resources Development Authority (HLA)
- Water Resources Investigation And Development Department, Addl.Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary/ Secretary, is the Chairman of HlA(only for industrial purpose).
- The office of the Member Secretary is-Director,SWID
- It responsible from more than 100m3/hr discharge for all cases.
Jurisdiction of the Authority:
- District Level Authority-shall have jurisdiction over every area within the jurisdiction of a Municipality, or a Block or a notified Area Authority.
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A user aggrieved by any action taken or decision made by the District Level Authority or the Corporation Level Authority or the State Level Authority or any other person authorized by the State Level Authority, as the case may be, may prefer an appeal–
- To the officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of West Bengal, duly authorized by the Secretary, Water Investigation and Development Department, Writers, Buildings, Kolkata – 700001, if the discharge range of the well for which the permit or certificate of registration, as the case may be, is within the category specified in SL. No.1 or Sl.No.2 of Table to sub-rule (1) of rule 18;
- To the Secretary of the Government of West Bengal,Water investigation and Development Department, Writer's Building,Kolkatta-700001, if the discharge of the well for which the permit or certificateor registration,as the case may be ,is within the category specified in SL NO.3 or SL.NO.4 of table to sub-rule(1) of rule 18,and such authority shall be the appellate authority for the purpose of the Act.
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Explanation:-
For the purpose of this rule,"Secretary" or "Joint Secretary" includes the person discharging the function of the Secretary or the Joint Secretary, as the case may be.
Fee for appeal:-
A user may prefer an appeal to the appellate authority under the act on payment of such fee as specified in column (3) of Table below, on the basis of category of discharge range of the well as mentioned in column (2) of the said Table :-| Sl.No. | Discharge range of well for which permit/registration is sought for. | Appeal fee (in Rs.) |
| 1 | When the discharge range is upto 30 m3/hr. | 500.00 |
| 2 | When the discharge range exceeds 30 m3/hr. | 1000.00 |
| 3 | When the discharge range exceeds50 m3/hr. upto 100 m3/hr. | 1500.00 |
| 4 | When the discharge range is above 100m3/hr. | 2500.00 |
Guidelines for Issuance of Permit for Extraction of Ground water-With the help of Tube wells fitted with Pump (Mechanical or Electrical devices) as per “The West Bengal Groundwater Resources (Management, Control and Regulation) Act, 2005”
The West Bengal Groundwater Resources (Management,Control and Regulation)Act,2005 have come into force 15th September,2005 after having the approval of State Assembly to manage,control and regulate indiscriminate extraction of groundwater in West Bengal.The Rules under the said Act have come into force with effect from 1st August, 2006.The said Act must be compulsory for any user to obtain a Permit for sinking a new well and Certificate of Registration for existing wells (installed before the Act), where groundwater is extracting with the help of any kind of mechanized or electrical devices in West Bengal.
Existing Guidelines:
The existing Guidelines for issuance of a Certificate
of Registration and Permit for extracting groundwater with the help of pump fitted Tube Wells are narrated below :
- Any user of any kind of existing tube wells fitted with mechanical/electrical device to extract groundwater shall be considered for obtaining Certificate of Registration, in case those tube wells are constructed before 15th September,2005 and the user has to apply with the From 6 in Office of the B.D.O.. Otherwise, any user of any existing tube well must apply in the Office of the Member Secretary of District Level Groundwater Resources Development Authority (DLA) for obtaining Permit considering as new tube well fitted with pump (mechanical & electrical devices) to extract ground water. a) The criteria for verification of existing tube wells (constructed a tube well before 15th September, 2005) are given below; • Date of energisation as per permanent electric bill for existing tube well. • Certificate from Gram Panchayet or Municipality, which will certify date of construction of the existing tube well. • Bill of purchased materials for construction of tube well (examples pump, pipe etc.). [Note: Last date to apply for obtaining Certificate of Registration was 31st July, 2011. At present, process of Certificate of Registration has been totally stopped] b) Any user, who desires to sink a new tube well for any purpose to extract groundwater with the help of any kind of mechanical & electrical devices, in that case the user must apply with the Form 1to the Office of Member Secretary of DLA for obtaining permit after submission of some revenue with T.R. Form 7 & relevant document. Any user can apply for obtaining Permit to extract groundwater for any purposes in the block, which are categorised as Safe category as per available assessment of Dynamic Groundwater Resources. But no user can apply for obtaining Permit for irrigation purpose in the block, which are categorised as Semi-Critical, Critical and Over-exploited. Domestic & Industrial users can apply in the block, which is categorized as Semi-critical as a resolution of first meeting of State Level Groundwater Resources Development Authority (SLA) (held on 09-11-2006) for case-to-case study on hydro-geological & hydrological condition of the area under consideration for issuing Permit. Later decision has been changed in 11th meeting of State Level Groundwater Resources Development Authority (SLA) (held on 21-09-2011) that “the proposal from the Semi-critical block will be taken up for consideration on site to site basis after studying the local ground water condition. The DLA will submit technical notes in respect to individual application with recommendation for approval at SLA level”. Safe Distance Criteria - As a resolution of first meeting of SLA has been adopted as Safe Distance Criteria between two tube wells in the irrigation sector for issue of permit (not for Certificate of Registration, because already exists before Act), which is tabulated below. Discharge range of proposed Tube Well Discharge Range of existing Tube Well Upto 50 m3/hour >50 m3/hour to 100m3/hour >100m3/hour Upto 50 m3/hour 200m 400m 600m
- 2. The DLA is empowered to issue permit for user of irrigation, domestic purposes for sinking a new well for extraction of groundwater not exceeding at the rate 50 m3/hour and the application for sinking a new well for extraction of groundwater at the rate exceeding 50 m3 /hour will be forwarded to SLA with comments of DLA for final approval. The Corporation Level groundwater resources development Authority (CLA) is empowered to issue permit for sinking a new tube well for extraction of groundwater not exceeding at the rate 100 m3/hour.
- 3. Followings users will not have to obtain permit, while extracting groundwater with the help of any kind of mechanical/electrical device vide memo no. 130-SWID dt. 08.09.11: • Domestic users having tank on rooftop upto 10,000 liters for preservation of extracted groundwater. • School and Educational Institutions. • Hospitals and Health Care Unit. • Places of Worship. • Relief Centre for Natural Calamity. • Permanent occupied area for Defence and Cantonment.
- 4. A notification Order no. l89/WRIDD/SECY dated 3rd November, 2011 regarding exemption of irrigation pump under the purview of the “The West Bengal Groundwater Resources (Management, Control and Regulation) Act, 2005” has been issued by Government of West Bengal indicating that the farmers can energize pumps upto the limit 5 HP or maximum discharge of 30 m3/ hour without having Permit from District Level groundwater resources development Authority (DLA) of the district. Moreover, said Order shall not be applicable on 38 nos. of blocks of the state, which are already categorized as Semi-Critical through Assessment of Dynamic Groundwater Resources as per GEC-97 methodology as on 2008-2009.
- 5. As per amendment of “The West Bengal Groundwater Resources (Management, Control and Regulation) Act, 2005” on 23rd November, 2015 necessary rules has been changed, which are given below : • The District Level Authority shall issue permit to user within 30 days from the date of receipt of application to extract groundwater at the rate not exceeding 50 m3/hour for industrial purpose and in case if extraction of groundwater at the rate exceeding 50 m3/hour for industrial purpose, then the District Level Authority shall forward the same to the State Level Authority with specific comments or recommendation within 30 days from the date of receipt of application. • The Corporation Level Authority shall issue permit to user within 30 days from the date of receipt of application to extract groundwater at the rate not exceeding 100 m3/hour for industrial purpose and in case if extraction of groundwater at the rate exceeding 100 m3/hour for industrial purpose, then the Corporation Level Authority shall forward the same to the State Level Authority with specific comments or recommendation within 30 days from the date of receipt of application. • Provided that the State Level Authority shall dispose the application for extraction of groundwater for industrial purpose within 21 (twenty one) days from the date of receipt of application from the District Level Authority or the Corporation Level Authority and in case if extraction of groundwater at the rate exceeding 100 m3/hour for industrial purpose, the State Level Authority shall forward the same with specific comments or recommendation to the High Level Groundwater Resources Development Authority within 21 (twenty one) days from the date of receipt of application from the District Level Authority or the Corporation Level Authority. • Application for extraction of groundwater at the rate exceeding 100 cubic metre per hour, shall be disposed of by the High Level Authority within 15(fifteen) days from the date of receipt of the same from the State Level Authority.
- 6. The Sub-Committee that has already been formed by SLA earlier by the Senior Officers from six-department (SWID, CGWB, PHED, WRDD, DST and I&WD) in 7th SLA meeting, who will prepare for future guidelines for consideration of further developmental programs in respect of As & F infested area & river bed area for extraction of ground water on behalf of SLA. The Sub-Committee of SLA have suggested that Permit would not be issued to any applicant, where the groundwater is Arsenic (As) / Fluoride (F) / salinity infested. But it should be permissible only from those aquifers, which are not infested by As and F or not yet intruded by saline water in that locality after preparing the proposal on the basis of site specific study report in respect of individual application at DLA level in 10th SLA meeting.
- 7. The Sub-Committee discussed in detailed to consider the proposals in respect to the construction of River Bed Intake Wells connected with radial Infiltration Galleries below the river bed for the purpose of drinking water supply system and as well as for the industry. The SLA will decide on the basis of findings of Sub-Committee report in its next meeting. The approval will be granted accordingly in 10th SLA meeting.
- 8. The Sub-Committee resolved that any kind of relaxation will not be given to any user of Package Drinking Water in respect of Semi-Critical blocks in 10th SLA meeting.
- 9. In respect to proposals of intake wells in river beds, it has been decided that proper technical studies should be carried out before granting the permission to any user for industrial purpose. The interdependence of river water and groundwater should be studied in the influence zone and a minimum balance should be maintained to avoid adverse effect on surrounding groundwater condition, particularly in the aquifer characterized with consolidated/semi-consolidated formations.