Around 60 Builders and Companies in Gurugram Found Illegally Drawing Groundwater: HWRA Committee Formed

GURUGRAM: In a significant crackdown on unauthorized groundwater extraction, the Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) has identified around 60 builders and firms in Gurugram that have been illegally drawing groundwater.

Following this discovery, HWRA last week constituted a dedicated committee tasked with inspecting these sites and sealing borewells that do not adhere to the required norms within a three-week window.

According to officials, at least four formal notices have been issued to the erring builders so far, but none have responded. The majority of these illegal extraction activities are concentrated in New Gurgaon—a region that was predominantly agricultural land until a few years ago but has since undergone rapid urbanization. Today, it is home to numerous high-rise residential complexes that stretch along the Dwarka Expressway.

HWRA chairperson Keshni Anand Arora has formed a joint inspection panel comprising Gurgaon’s chief hydrologist Pankaj Mahla, enforcement officers from the Department of Town and Country Planning, and regional representatives from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board. The panel’s mandate is to visit each of the identified sites, document the nature of violations, and initiate corrective measures.

Builders and firms found in violation will be given an opportunity to apply for official permission to extract groundwater within 21 days. Failure to comply within this period will result in the sealing of their borewells.

“This action sends a clear and firm message from the state government regarding the serious issue of groundwater depletion,” a senior official commented on Thursday.

He added that the growing water needs of Gurugram—driven by the construction of high-rise buildings, expanding commercial hubs, and burgeoning industrial units—have put immense pressure on already fragile groundwater reserves.

To facilitate the committee’s on-ground operations, district authorities have been instructed to provide full support, including deploying security personnel to ensure the inspections and enforcement efforts proceed smoothly.

A detailed report outlining the committee’s inspections and any enforcement actions taken is expected to be submitted to HWRA by June 16.

The city’s plummeting groundwater levels have long been a matter of concern. Gurugram has been officially categorized as an ‘overexploited’ area for groundwater since 2013 by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

A government-backed study reported by The Times of India last year revealed that in 2023, the city extracted 214% of its total available groundwater—a figure more than double the sustainable limit.

This overextraction has been attributed to a combination of factors including intensive agricultural usage, rapid industrial expansion, aggressive real estate development, and population growth in the region.

Vikram Rao, a resident of Sector 92, welcomed HWRA’s initiative, stating that it could serve as a “template for other districts facing similar water management challenges.”

He emphasized that the crackdown highlights the urgent necessity for both regulatory compliance and sustainable use of natural resources as Haryana grapples with mounting water scarcity and environmental stress.