Face2News/Chandigarh
Punjab Water Regulation & Development Authority (PWRDA) ‘s new directions for extraction and Conservation of groundwater has come into force today i.e. February 1, 2023.
These Directions exempt the following categories Agriculture Usage, Drinking and Domestic Usage, Places of Worship, Government Drinking Water Supply Schemes, Military or Central Para-Military Forces, Urban Local Bodies, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Cantonment Boards, Improvement Trusts, Area Development Authorities and all Units extracting up to 300 cubic meters per month.
With the coming into force of the Directions all non-exempt Users who are extracting groundwater shall have to pay groundwater extraction charges w.e.f. 1st February, 2023. Even those Users who have not installed a water meter shall have to pay these charges. For details see PWRDA website https://pwrda.org
Existing Users have been given a grace period of 3-9 months to apply for permission of the Authority and for installing water meters. The Users extracting more than 15,000 cubic meters per month shall have to apply within three months latest by 30th April, 2023. The medium size Users extracting between 1500 and 15,000 cubic meters per month have been given six months time to apply latest by 31st July, 2023. The smallest Users extracting between 300-1500 cubic meters per month can apply in nine months time, latest by 31st October, 2023.
Users are advised to install new meters as per specifications of the Authority at the earliest and pay the monthly bill by taking the water meter reading themselves. The report of the monthly water meter reading will be sent by Users to the Authority by email to gwebilling.pwrda@punjab.gov.in . The amount of the monthly bill be paid by each User to the bank account of the Authority which is HDFC Bank Account No. 50100071567691, (IFSC: HDFC0000035)
In case a User does not install a water meter of the required specification he shall have to pay the monthly bill for the full volume of groundwater extraction permission sought for the entire period from 1st February, 2023 up to the date of installation of water meter. Accordingly, it is in the interest of each User to install water meters of the required specifications at the earliest. The water meter specifications are given at website https://pwrda.org
Existing users who have installed a water meter of the required specifications should note their meter reading on 1st, February, 2023 and then every month. Groundwater charges can be paid by all such users on monthly basis by self reading. The first bill for February, 2023 shall be payable by 20th March, 2023 by such users.