The PUDUCHERRY GROUND WATER (CONTROL AND REGULATION) ACT, 2002
puducherry · 2003
The scanned source for this Act is imperfect — headings or section boundaries may be off. Verify against the official source.
- S. 1(1) This Act may be called the Puducherry Ground Water (Control and Regulation) Act, 2002
- S. 2Section 2 defines key terms used in the Puducherry Groundwater (Control and Regulation) Act, 2002.
- S. 3Section establishes a Ground Water Authority with a Chairman, official members, and non-official experts to regulate groundwater.
- S. 4The Government can appoint technical staff to assist the Ground Water Authority in its duties and set their terms and conditions.
- S. 5Section 5 authorizes the Government to direct the Ground Water Authority and mandates its compliance on policy matters, while allowing the Authority to advise on groundwater control.
- S. 6Section 6 mandates users to apply for a permit from the Ground Water Authority to sink a well in notified areas, except for manual devices, and outlines conditions for permit approval.
- S. 7Section 7 requires existing groundwater users to register with the Ground Water Authority within 120 days, detailing their usage and extraction methods.
- S. 8Section mandates registration of all wells in Puducherry, excluding manual groundwater extraction, and applies certain permit terms to non-notified areas.
- S. 9The Ground Water Authority can modify groundwater permits or registrations for technical reasons, ensuring users are heard and crops aren't damaged.
- S. 10Section 10 prohibits sinking wells or extracting groundwater in notified areas without a license after six months of the Act's enforcement.
- S. 11Section 11 allows individuals to apply for a license to sink wells and install groundwater extraction devices in notified areas.
- S. 12Section 12 allows the Ground Water Authority to cancel permits or licenses if obtained fraudulently, non-compliance occurs, or groundwater use needs to be limited.
- S. 13—
- S. 14Section 14 of the PUDUCHERRY GROUND WATER (CONTROL AND REGULATION) ACT, 2002 allows users to request confidentiality for certain groundwater information, which the authority must respect unless it pertains to water resources.
- S. 15Service of orders, etc
- S. 16Section 16 allows the Ground Water Authority to delegate its powers and duties to its employees.
- S. 17Section 17 deems members and employees of the Ground Water Authority public servants for purposes of the Indian Penal Code when acting under this Act.
- S. 18Section 18 protects government officials and employees from legal actions for actions taken in good faith under the Act.
- S. 19Section 19 allows only the Ground Water Authority to prosecute groundwater offenses and mandates they be tried by a First Class Judicial Magistrate.
- S. 20Section penalizes users for failing to provide required information, furnishing false data, and non-compliance with the Act, with fines and imprisonment for repeat offenses.
- S. 21Section 21 allows the Ground Water Authority to compound offences under the Act; Section 22 holds company officers liable for company offences.
- S. 22—
- S. 23Section 23 allows appeals against Ground Water Authority decisions within 30 days, with a bar on civil court jurisdiction.
- S. 24Section 24 prohibits civil courts from intervening in matters the government or Ground Water Authority regulates under the Act.
- S. 25Power to make rules ___________ 369 THE PUDUCHERRY GROUND WATER (CONTROL AND REGULATION) ACT, 2002