Section 30. Groundwater management for existing users of groundwater.

(1) The Watershed Water Resources Committee shall, with the technical support of the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency, prepare a watershed or aquifer based groundwater use plan and the District Authority shall notify it, in the manner as may be prescribed. (2) Based on the rainfall and groundwater level of the hydrological year, the Watershed Water Resources Committee shall update the watershed or aquifer based groundwater use plan every year and shall monitor the withdrawal of the groundwater accordingly and also safeguard the sustainability of Public Drinking Water Sources. The Watershed Water Resources Committee shall recommend to the District Authority, the steps to be taken for regulation of groundwater. It shall recommend measures to the State Government, Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, or urban local body to augment the groundwater resources in the area. (3) The Watershed Water Resources Committee shall also pursue, with the State Government, the implementation of the Integrated Watershed Development and Management Plan. (4) The Watershed Water Resources Committee shall also ascertain the existing users of groundwater and owners of wells, the implementation of individual measures for artificial recharge of groundwater, in the manner as may be prescribed. (5) The Watershed Water Resources Committee shall specify the cropping pattern for the area based on the water budget and a plan for the required withdrawal of groundwater, from the existing wells, for different usages like domestic, agriculture, industry or any other use, based on the Groundwater Use Plan, in the manner as may be prescribed.