Fine for exploitation of groundwater

Imposition of fines ranging from RS 10,000 to Rs 50,000 and imprisonment in case of repetition are the measures planned by the state government to protect groundwater resources. The Kerala groundwater (Control and Regulation) Act, 2002 will be amended to include the above penalties; Water resources Minister N.K. Premechandran told the assembly. Section 9 of act says all consumers have to register with the Kerala ground water authority by February 2, 2008 but this does not include consumers with or below 1.5 HP pumps on open wells and with or below 3 HP pumps on borewells. The act is intended to prevent over-exploitation of the state's groundwater resources.
NIE sep 21