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HC halts use of groundwater for construction work in Gurgaon
Tribune News Service

THE DIRECTIVE No new construction licences should be issued to builders without getting an undertaking that underground water would not be used for construction The undertakings should also mention the source of water for construction Authorities have been asked to give details of water connections issued so far

Chandigarh, July 16
Digging deep into the issue of groundwater conservation in Gurgaon, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear to the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) that no new construction licences should be issued to builders without getting an undertaking that underground water would not be used for construction.

The undertakings by builders and individuals should also mention the source of water for construction purposes. The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain also asked the secretaries of the departments of town and country planning and the public health and the HUDA chief to remain present in the court on July 31.

They have been asked to explain as to how many water connections have been issued till now by the authorities and how the authorities concerned intend to tackle the problem in Gurgaon.

The directions came during the hearing on a bunch of petitions filed by the Qutub Enclave Residents Welfare Association and other petitioners.

The directions are significant as the petitioners before the court have all along been alleging that the builders in Gurgaon were illegally drawing underground water and using it for construction purposes.

The Bench also sought details of the total water connections in Gurgaon and the city’s requirement. Gurgaon, over the years, has witnessed massive construction activity following a boom in the real estate sector.