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Faridabad Industries Association and HWRA Host Interactive Awareness Workshop on Groundwater Abstraction Permissions & Approvals

Faridabad Industries Association (FIA) and Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) jointly hosted an Awareness Workshop in Faridabad for Guidance to Industrial & Non-Industrial Projects regarding applying to HWRA for obtaining permission for the abstraction of groundwater and for resolving the queries of association members.

WD News: The Faridabad Industries Association (FIA) and Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) jointly hosted an Awareness Workshop in Faridabad for Guidance to Industrial & Non-Industrial Projects regarding applying to HWRA for obtaining permission for the abstraction of groundwater and for resolving the queries of association members in this regard.

HWRA has made obtaining the NOC mandatory for all groundwater users (except exempted category) drawing or proposing to draw groundwater. The NOC mandate is to control groundwater extraction in water-stressed regions and guarantee that it is carried out sustainably and responsibly, with no negative effects on the environment or depletion of water supplies. The workshop aimed to ensure that hands-on guidance is available and a live interaction happens on this subject matter.

The event brought together senior officials Smt. Keshni Anand Arora, IAS, Chairperson, Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA); Ms. Aparajita, IAS, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad; Shri Anil Bhatia, Chief Technical Officer, HWRA; and Shri KK Parmar, Chief Technical Officer, HWRA at this unique platform. Shri Narendra Aggarwal, President, and Shri Shantanu Raizada represented the Faridabad Industries Association (FIA).

The workshop began with the address of Shri Narendra Aggarwal, President, Faridabad Industries Association (FIA). Highlighting the background and need of this workshop, he said that if water-related problems are not addressed properly, there may be a problem of acute water shortage in the next 5-6 years. He cited the example of reduced water consumption in their textile plant using technologies like ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge). He emphasised that industries need to invest substantially in these technologies as better process water quality helps in improving product quality as well as protecting the environment around us.

Smt. Keshni Anand Arora, IAS, Chairperson, Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) gave the keynote address. She appreciated the efforts of FIA, saying water is such a key issue and that organising this event becomes hugely significant. She was glad to note that industries are using technologies like ZLD. She informed the audience that HWRA has categorised the villages to assess the groundwater problem. She said that the usage of treated water in construction and horticulture etc. needs to be promoted. She mentioned the industries in Panipat that serve as good examples of using surface water and reducing their dependence on groundwater. She also urged industries to invest in CSR for a better future for the next generations. She concluded by saying that this meeting is a platform to solve the queries on applying for and getting the NOCs and encouraged all the attendees to discuss their queries at length with the HWRA officials present at the meeting.

Ms. Aparajita, IAS, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad spoke about the overuse of groundwater resources in Faridabad, because of which the region is experiencing a major water problem. She highlighted the crucial role of groundwater in the city’s household, agricultural, and industrial demands, and said that while the administration has made block-level plans and implemented other initiatives for rainwater collection and promotion of water conservation techniques, it is only with the inputs and support of our communities that we can overcome the challenges of groundwater. She said that Faridabad is fortunate to have so many industrial units and using its financial and technological acumen and community participation through citizens’ initiatives, it can move ahead on the path of sustainable development.

After the inaugural session, a technical session was hosted in which Shri Anil Bhatia, Chief Technical Officer, HWRA presented the “Guidelines for Applying for NOC for Infrastructure, Industrial and Mining Projects on HWRA Portal.” Post this, he, along with Shri KK Parmar, Chief Technical Officer, HWRA answered the queries of representatives of various industry members of the association.

The questions put forward by the industry representative ranged from broad issues like who all are required or exempted from seeking NOC for groundwater extraction/usage and for what purposes, to specific questions on how to apply for the NOC as per different water demands/ limitations and usage of specific industries, purpose, and benefits of flow meters, validities of exemptions given earlier, the challenges faced by organisations in submitting the required documents, and in responding to objections raised by officials, or fulfilling the criteria for exemption due to various reasons.

Ms. Anupama Madhok Sud, Editor & Director of Water Digest, moderated the sessions that served as a valuable forum for knowledge sharing and left the participants with insights and directions to move ahead in their objectives of obtaining the mandatory groundwater usage permissions.

Shri Shantanu Raizada from the Faridabad Industries Association delivered the vote of thanks (FIA). He concluded that to address the issues caused by the declining groundwater levels of Faridabad, the city and its communities must make more efforts. The industrial sector can support this greatly in this regard.

The event attracted many industry representatives, highlighting the value of cooperation and teamwork in addressing the complex challenges of groundwater management.

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