Tamil Nadu to Move Groundwater Extraction Approvals Online
The Water Resources Department (WRD) in Tamil Nadu is set to introduce an online system for issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) to industries and commercial users for groundwater extraction. The digital shift, expected within a month, aims to improve monitoring and streamline the clearance process, reducing manual paperwork and delays.
Currently, the State Ground and Surface Water Data Centre issues NOCs manually for borewells sunk by water-based industries. Under the new system, applicants will submit documents online, and the department plans to reduce approval time to 30–40 days, including field inspections.
Approvals are granted only in firkas (revenue villages) classified as 'safe' or 'semi-critical' under the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment. Of the 1,202 revenue firkas in the state, 386 are over-exploited and 62 are critical, as per the March 2025 assessment. Districts with the most safe zones include Sivagangai, Thoothukudi, Ariyalur, Chengalpattu, and Pudukottai. On average, the department issues about 2,500 NOCs annually, with a service charge of ₹6,000 per borewell.
The online system is being rolled out while the Tamil Nadu Water Resources (Regulation, Management and Augmentation) Bill, 2026, passed by the state assembly in January, awaits the Governor's assent. Once the Act comes into force, the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Management Authority will frame rules for groundwater extraction, including tariffs for commercial users and penalties for unauthorised extraction. Private water tankers supplying domestic and commercial water would also be regulated under the new framework.
Industry stakeholders have welcomed the move. E. Saravanan, general secretary of the Greater Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, said shifting to an online system would speed up the process, which currently takes up to five months. He also urged the department to extend the validity of NOCs from one year to three years, similar to approvals from the Revenue Department. Currently, both departments issue NOCs in semi-critical and safe zones, but in areas earmarked for Chennai's water supply, approval from the Revenue Divisional Office is also required.
The digitisation effort is part of broader measures to manage groundwater resources sustainably in a state facing growing industrial and domestic water demand.
