Central Ground Water Authority NOC | CGWA NOC - Central Ground Water Authority is constituted by the government of India under the Environmental (Protection) act 1986. It is established to regulate and control the development and management of groundwater resources in the country.

Power of Authority:

a. Exercise of powers under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for issuing directions and taking such measures in respect of all the matters referred to in sub-section(2) of section 3 of the said Act.

b. To resort to penal provisions contained in sections 15 to 21 of the said Act.

c. To regulate and control, management and development of groundwater in the country and to issue necessary regulatory directions for the purpose.

d. Exercise of powers under section 4 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the appointment of officers.

In the exercise of its powers, the Authority controls the production of groundwater by means of various means including the grant of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for groundwater abstraction and the issuance of notifications, instructions, and when necessary.

The Central Ground Water Authority has developed guidelines for NOC granting groundwater extraction, which has been updated from time to time. In the last position in 2015, the Guidelines were revised to put existing industries/infrastructure/mining projects within the scope of the NOC in compliance with the Hon'ble NGT Vide Order of 15 April 2015 in the matter of Krishan Kant Singh Vs. M/s Deoria Paper Ltd., Hata Road, Narainpur, Deoria, and other connected matters.

Exempted category

The following categories of users shall be exempted from obtaining NOC for groundwater abstraction:

a. All users drawing/ proposing to draw groundwater through non- energized means (bucket & rope, hand pump, mhote etc.)

b. Individual households drawing/ proposing to draw groundwater from a single dug well/bore well/ tube well through the delivery pipe of up to 1" diameter iii. Agricultural users

c. Armed Forces Establishments during operational deployment or during mobilization in forwarding locations

Granting NOC for groundwater withdrawal for drinking & domestic purposes, two broad categories identified are as follows:

1. Individual households/ connections

2. Infrastructure projects/ industries/ mining projects/ water supply agencies/ others

Individual households/ connections
Individual houses drawing/proposing to draw groundwater through more than one usable well/tube well/cavity or drawing groundwater through a supply pipe of more than 1 "diameter from a single groundwater extraction system shall be needed to obtain NOC for groundwater withdrawal under this category. NOC shall be granted for groundwater extraction, subject to the following conditions:

i. Application for NOC is followed by a proof of household ownership(s).

ii. NOC for new wells shall only be given in such situations where there is no public water supply system/water supply is inadequate.

iii. The applicant shall submit an affidavit on the Rs. 10/- non-judicial stamp paper stating that public water supply is not / inadequately available.

iv. The NOC shall be valid for a period of 5 years from the date of issue, or until such time as the household has been provided with public water supply, whichever is earlier. The applicant shall apply for NOC renewal no later than 90 days in advance to have its validity expired

v. The user must install the digital water flow meter on the well/bore well / well tube and send the data through the web portal

vi. The user shall submit data regarding groundwater abstraction through the web portal.

vii. When the existing well is defunct during the NOC validity period, the user would be able to create a replacement well under intimation to the CGWB Regional Manager.