Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), Government of India, had notified Guidelines to Regulate and Control Ground Water Extraction in India on 12.12.2018, which were to come into force from 1^st June 2019 by superseding all the earlier guidelines issued by CGWA. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in its order dated 03.01.2019, had put on hold the CGWA Guidelines and directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to constitute an Expert Committee to examine the issue and submit its report to MoEF&CC and NGT. Thereafter, fresh guidelines are to be issued by the concerned Ministry and the report furnished to NGT.

IPMA had submitted a representation to the Government on the issue on 11.03.2019. The Expert Committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Jigmet Takpa, Joint Secretary, MoEF&CCA, invited IPMA to present its views at a meeting convened on 4^th June 2019 at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi.

IPMA was represented at the meeting by Mr. C Kashikar (BILT), Mr. Naresh Chandra (Century), Mr. I J Singh and Mr. G K Mishra (Star), and Secretary General. A detailed presentation was made and representation submitted to the Expert Committee.