many people in Delhi are openly violating laws enacted by the Central Ground Water Authority (cgwa) with the help of the Delhi Jal Board (djb). In 2000, the cgwa had passed an order that new borewells in south Delhi cannot be dug without getting a prior permission from the authorities. Anyone found guilty would be fined Rs 1 lakh and will be imprisoned for five years. The order also included a ban on repairing old borewells.
But the residents of Delhi continue digging borewells in many areas without getting prior permission. The irony of the situation is they use djb''s equipment for the illegal digging. "We have got reports on specific sites and the matter is under investigation. The builders are not concerned about the low water level. Just for the sake of their profits they provide short-term solutions at the cost of the environment," said J S Raghuraman, deputy commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (south zone).
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