Acting contrary to the recent Punjab and Haryana High Court order which prohibits extraction of groundwater, except for domestic purpose, senior bureaucrats have suggested that developers file a petition in court for permission to carry out development work in the SEZs here.
In a meeting between developers and the state departments on Wednesday, a suggestion was made for the government and developers to collectively approach the HC to allow installation and operation of tubewells and efficient use of water, till canal water reaches the region. The developers agreed to this approach, as reported by TOI.
Principal secretary in the Haryana government Y.S. Malik promised to organize a meeting with Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC), water supply department and other stake holders within 15 days to formulate an action plan on this issue.
The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation has contributed upfront for the Rs 800-crore Gurgaon water supply scheme. But the infrastructure for augmenting water supply has a gestation period, said the personal secretary.
Gurgaon falls in the grey zone which makes it important that available resources be utilized judiciously, explained Gurgaon deputy commissioner Rajender Kataria. The problem of water shortage in Gurgaon has become acute since the district administration came down heavily on illegal borewells and tubewells, banning fresh installations.
As per Haryanas New Industrial Policy, notified on January 1, the state will not be
responsible for ensuring water to developers.
As many as 30 SEZs are based in Gurgaon alone. HSIIDC has spent Rs 800 to take canal water to Gurgaon district but senior officials said it
will take time for water to reach the region.
At present, 200 litres is required by each person each day for domestic use. If we consider the present population to be at 15 lakh (as per official data), this requirement is 300 million litres daily (MLD).
At present, the water supplied by various bodies like HUDA and public health is close to 270 MLD while another 40 MLD is extracted from the ground via tubewells.
The water is sufficient for drinking purpose and after the HC order, commercial usage has been strictly prohibited, added Kataria.
The present capacity of sewerage treatment plants in the city is close to 273 MLD which can be treated and re-used for all purposes except for drinking. Developers can sign an agreement with HUDA and public health department to purchase this treated water, explained the DC. Also, the NCR water channel is almost 90 per cent complete and is expected to provide close to 350 cusecs (approx 900 MLD) of water from Yamuna, explained Kataria.
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