"We are contemplating to bring in a legislation to check excessive exploitation of underground water through boring... this is leading to receding levels of underground water", State Minister Paras Nath Yadav said in reply to a question in the state Assembly.
The state government will also ensure that encroachments on ponds could be removed on a priority basis, he added.
The question regarding status of underground water levels was raised by BJP members Suresh Kumar Khanna and Dr Lakshmikant Bajpai.
The minister said that in 67 development blocks in 25 districts including Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Bareilly, Raebareli and JP Nagar had registered record fall in the underground water level.
When members asked about the reasons for the fall, Yadav said that encroachments in ponds, which are the main source for water recharge, is one of the major causes of receding underground water level.