Section 46. Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency to advise Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and urban local bodies in the non-notified areas.

The Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency shall render technical advise to the Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and urban local bodies in the non-notified areas to monitor and encourage the individual measures of artificial groundwater recharge for existing well to protect the Safe Watershed Status of the area and to permit any person or a user of groundwater to drill borewell or tubewell upto sixty metres in non-notified area: Provided that, for this purpose the Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and urban local bodies shall prepare and maintain the water account and water budget of the area, plan and execute watershed or aquifer based groundwater recharge and groundwater use plan, in the manner as may be prescribed and while deciding applications for permission to drill such borewells and tubewells, it shall take into consideration the groundwater use plan and technical advise of the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency: Provided further that, any permission for sinking a well in non-notified area shall be subject to the condition of construction of artificial recharge structure of appropriate size within the specified period, as may be prescribed.