How to File RTI with CGWB or CGWA for Groundwater Permits, Over-Exploited Zone Notifications, and Aquifer Data

India's groundwater resources are under severe stress. According to Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) assessments, more than 700 assessment units across the country are classified as Over-Exploited — meaning annual extraction exceeds the annual recharge — and several hundred more fall in the Critical or Semi-Critical categories. The twin challenges of industrial over-extraction and depleting water tables affect millions of citizens who depend on wells, borewells, and hand pumps for drinking water and irrigation.

Two Central Government bodies under the Ministry of Jal Shakti govern groundwater at the national level. The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is the national apex body for hydrogeological surveys, aquifer mapping, and groundwater resource assessment. The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) is the regulatory body that issues No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for groundwater extraction by industries, mines, and infrastructure projects, and issues binding directions to check over-exploitation in notified areas.

Both CGWB and CGWA are public authorities under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Citizens living in water-stressed areas can use RTI to access groundwater classification data, NOC records for industrial extractors, aquifer mapping reports, long-term water level monitoring data, and CGWA enforcement actions — information that is rarely publicised and often critical for community water security advocacy.

Scope of this guide: This guide covers RTI applications filed with CGWB and CGWA for national-level groundwater data, industrial NOC records, and regulatory actions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. For intrastate groundwater regulation — such as agricultural borewell registration or state-level groundwater schemes — file with the respective State Ground Water Department; the second appeal for state bodies goes to the State Information Commission (SIC), not the Central Information Commission.

CGWB vs CGWA vs State Ground Water Bodies: Which Body Handles What

Groundwater Classification: Over-Exploited, Critical, and What RTI Can Reveal

How CGWB Classifies Groundwater Units

CGWB, in collaboration with State Ground Water Departments, conducts periodic assessments of groundwater resources at the district and block level. Each assessment unit is categorised as:

• Over-Exploited: Annual extraction exceeds annual recharge; long-term declining trend in water levels
• Critical: Extraction is between 90% and 100% of recharge; significant risk of tipping into Over-Exploited
• Semi-Critical: Extraction is between 70% and 90% of recharge
• Safe: Extraction is below 70% of recharge
• Saline: Groundwater is saline or otherwise unfit for use

The assessments are based on pre-monsoon and post-monsoon water level readings from monitoring wells, estimates of draft (extraction) from agriculture and industry, and estimates of recharge from rainfall and other sources.

What RTI Can Obtain

• Current classification of a specific district or block, the year of assessment, and whether a reassessment is underway
• Long-term water level trends: Decade-wise or year-wise pre-monsoon and post-monsoon water levels at specific monitoring wells, which establish whether the water table is rising or falling and at what rate
• CGWA notifications: When an area is classified as Over-Exploited, CGWA typically issues a notification under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 declaring it a notified area and restricting new extraction — RTI can obtain the text of such notifications, their scope, and the conditions imposed
• State-level recommendations: CGWB assessment reports often include recommendations to the State Government and to CGWA for regulatory action; RTI can obtain these recommendations and whether action was taken

Practical tip: The CGWB publishes annual groundwater assessment reports and a map of assessment categories on its website (cgwb.gov.in). Check the website first. File an RTI when you need block-level or well-level data not published there, certified copies for legal proceedings, or information about specific industrial NOC records or CGWA enforcement actions.

Industrial NOC Records: The Right to Know Who Is Extracting and How Much

When Is an NOC from CGWA Required?

Under the CGWA guidelines (notified periodically under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986), industries, mines, and infrastructure projects that extract more than specified threshold quantities of groundwater require a No-Objection Certificate from CGWA before commencing extraction. The threshold quantities and exemption criteria are revised from time to time.

As a general rule:

• Industries and projects in Over-Exploited and Critical assessment units face the strictest requirements, with limited or no fresh NOCs issued for expansion
• Safe areas may have higher thresholds or relaxed conditions
• Domestic users (individual households) are generally exempt; bulk domestic supply projects (municipalities, water boards) may require registration or NOC depending on quantum

What RTI Can Obtain

• Whether an industry has an NOC: Whether a named industrial unit or bulk water user holds a current NOC from CGWA, and whether it is valid or has been revoked
• Extraction quantities sanctioned: The volume of groundwater the NOC permits (in cubic metres per day), the source (borewell details), and conditions such as rainwater harvesting requirements or effluent treatment mandates
• List of all NOC holders in a district: A list of all industries and bulk users in a specified district for which CGWA has issued NOCs in a given period — this gives a full picture of legally sanctioned industrial extraction
• NOC exemption criteria: The detailed conditions under which extraction is exempted from NOC requirements in a given zone — relevant for citizens who suspect that an industry has misclassified its extraction to avoid obtaining an NOC
• CGWA directions for compliance: Orders issued by CGWA to NOC holders directing reduction of extraction, installation of meters, or submission of monitoring data, and the compliance status recorded by CGWA

Aquifer Mapping Data: The Bedrock of Groundwater Governance

What Is the NAQUIM Programme?

The National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM), implemented by CGWB, is the largest aquifer mapping initiative in the world by geographic scale. Under NAQUIM, CGWB systematically maps the geometry, hydraulic properties, water quality, and recharge characteristics of aquifer systems across India, and prepares Aquifer Management Plans (AMPs) recommending sustainable extraction limits and artificial recharge strategies.

NAQUIM data is the scientific foundation for groundwater regulation. Yet this data — paid for entirely by public funds — is not freely accessible to citizens in most areas.

What RTI Can Obtain from CGWB under NAQUIM

• Aquifer mapping reports for a specific district or block: the type of aquifer (alluvial, hard rock, coastal), depth to the saturated zone, aquifer thickness, hydraulic conductivity, and estimated groundwater storage
• Groundwater quality data: Chemical parameters (fluoride, nitrate, arsenic, iron concentrations) recorded during NAQUIM surveys for specific areas — critical for communities whose drinking water may be affected by geogenic or anthropogenic contamination
• Aquifer Management Plans: The recommended sustainable extraction limits for the district or block, proposed artificial recharge structures, and the current status of implementation of the plan
• Hydrogeological maps: Maps showing the depth to water table, recharge zones, and vulnerability zones — useful for understanding why a specific area is more prone to depletion

CGWA Enforcement: Directions to Industries and Notified Area Restrictions

How CGWA Regulates Groundwater

CGWA exercises regulatory powers under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It can:

1. Declare notified areas: Issue notifications declaring areas with over-exploitation or quality problems as regulated zones, restricting or prohibiting new extraction and imposing conditions on existing extraction
2. Issue directions to industries: Require industries and bulk users to install water meters, reduce extraction, carry out rainwater harvesting of a specified area, submit quarterly monitoring returns, or install piezometers to track water levels
3. Revoke NOCs: Cancel or suspend an NOC for non-compliance with conditions

What RTI Can Obtain on Enforcement

• Text of CGWA notifications for specific districts or areas, including the restrictions imposed and the grounds for notification
• Directions issued to specific industries in a district: the nature of the direction (reduce extraction, install meter, comply with NOC condition), the date of issue, and the compliance status as recorded by CGWA
• Inspection records: Whether CGWA has inspected a specific industrial unit and the findings of the inspection
• Complaints received and action taken: Formal complaints filed with CGWA against specific industries or bulk users for illegal extraction or NOC violations, and the action taken on each complaint — whether a direction was issued, NOC was revoked, or the complaint was closed without action

Where to File and How

Identifying the Right Authority

How to File on RTI Online Portal

1. Visit rtionline.gov.in and click Submit Request
2. Select Ministry of Jal Shakti
3. Select Central Ground Water Board or Central Ground Water Authority as the public authority depending on what you are seeking
4. State your questions clearly — include the district name, block or tehsil name if applicable, the name of the industry or unit if you are asking about a specific NOC, and the specific data or documents you need
5. Pay ₹10 online. BPL cardholders are exempt — upload a copy of your BPL card
6. Submit and note your registration number for tracking

Tip: If you need certified copies of CGWA notifications or NOC orders for use in legal proceedings before the National Green Tribunal or a court, explicitly state in your application: "I seek certified copies of the following documents…" This ensures the CPIO certifies the documents rather than providing only scanned images.

Appeals

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If no response is received within 30 days, or if the response is incomplete or unsatisfactory, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at CGWB or CGWA (as applicable) within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide within 30 days, extendable to 45 days with reasons in writing.

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the First Appeal period. Both CGWB and CGWA are Central Government bodies under the Ministry of Jal Shakti — the second appeal always goes to the CIC, not any State Information Commission.

Penalty: The CIC may impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to a maximum of ₹25,000) on the errant CPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act for failing to comply with the Act, and may recommend disciplinary proceedings.

For State Ground Water Departments: If you are filing RTI with a state-level groundwater body, the second appeal goes to the State Information Commission (SIC) of the respective state, not the CIC.

A note on third-party information: CGWA may invoke Section 8(1)(d) (trade secrets or commercial confidence) to withhold information about a specific industry's NOC application or monitoring data. This exemption is frequently misapplied — an NOC is a regulatory record, not a trade secret, and groundwater extraction quantities are environmental data that the public has a legitimate interest in accessing. If CGWA applies this exemption to deny an NOC record or an extraction quantity figure, challenge it in First Appeal by arguing that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the exemption under the proviso to Section 8(1).