Karnataka announces new groundwater charges: Check revised rates, fines and rules for borewell digging
In a major policy shift to manage groundwater use, the Karnataka government has announced new charges for drawing groundwater across the state. Individuals, housing societies, commercial establishments, industries, and mining operators will now have to pay between Re 1 and ₹35 per cubic metre, depending on usage and location. The new rules also make it compulsory to get a no-objection certificate (NOC) before digging borewells, a TOI report stated.Under the revised groundwater extraction framework, all types of apartment complexes, group housing societies, and even government agencies supplying water in urban areas will be brought under the pricing structure. Commercial and mining users are also covered under the new rates.
Residential buildings drawing up to 25 cubic metres a day will be exempt from charges. For 25–200 cubic metres, the rate is fixed at ₹1 per cubic metre. Usage above 200 cubic metres will attract a rate of ₹2 per cubic metre. Industries, infrastructure, and mining projects will be charged as per the groundwater status of the taluk: safe, semi-critical, critical, or over-exploited. In safe zones , industrial users will pay ₹1–5 per cubic metre.
, industrial users will pay ₹1–5 per cubic metre. In semi-critical zones , charges will be ₹2–8.
, charges will be ₹2–8. In critical zones , users will be charged ₹4–10.
, users will be charged ₹4–10. In over-exploited zones, the rate will rise to ₹6–20. Mining operators will be charged slightly lower:
Safe zones : ₹1–3
: ₹1–3 Semi-critical : ₹2–4
: ₹2–4 Critical : ₹3–6
: ₹3–6 Over-exploited: ₹4–7 Existing projects that meet NOC conditions, including setting up groundwater recharge systems, will get a 50% concession on the applicable charges.The NOC and levy system will also apply to water tankers and bulk suppliers, which had previously operated without such restrictions. Tankers will now have daily extraction caps based on zone:Safe zones: 150 m³
Semi-critical/critical zones: 100 m³
Over-exploited zones: 50 m³ The minor irrigation department explained the broader application of usage due to the state's geological challenges."Due to geological reasons in certain regions, groundwater contains high levels of salinity. Such groundwater is unsuitable for industrial production, which could potentially hinder industrial growth. If industries shut down, it may lead to disruptions in the industry-based socio-economic system. Therefore… it is proposed to amend the guidelines to permit bulk water supply for use in drinking, domestic, industrial, commercial, mining and infrastructure development purposes," read a note from the minor irrigation department.All apartment complexes and individual homes with borewells must now install digital water flow meters. Telemetry systems are mandatory for apartment complexes.Violations of the new norms will lead to fines ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹2 lakh, depending on daily consumption levels, which range from 200 kilolitres per day (KLD) to 5,000 KLD and above.The revenue collected from groundwater usage charges will be directed toward groundwater recharge and conservation projects, as the government aims to manage long-term sustainability of the state's water resources.
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