Industrial units can soon apply for no-objection certificates for groundwater extraction online, if their units are located outside over-exploited and critical groundwater blocks. The UP Groundwater Board is expected to go live with its portal by October 10, through which it will give new NoCs and renew permissions. Once the portal is launched, state guidelines will replace the central guidelines issued on September 24.

Additional chief secretary (infrastructure and industrial development), Alok Kumar said that the portal will be linked to Nivesh Mitra and will significantly ease the process of getting clearance for setting up industrial units. “There are 82 over-exploited and 47 critical blocks in terms of groundwater. Other than these blocks, the portal will issue NoCs for industrial units in all other development blocks for use of groundwater,” he said.

The government has clarified that even in over-exploited and critical blocks, no NoC will be required for drinking water and for use in residential buildings. The Board will provide a certificate for such water usage.
For existing industrial units in over-exploited and critical blocks, which have already been issued NoCs by the groundwater board, the UP Groundwater Board will review and re-issue clearances through the portal itself.

Meanwhile, the UP Pollution Control Board will issue consent to establish and operate to a new unit in blocks other than over-exploited and critical only, if it has been issued an NoC by the groundwater board.

Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by Water Today staff and is generated from news feeds. Source: The Times Of India