21 states, UTs adopted groundwater legislation, govt tells Lok Sabha

Twenty-one states and Union Territories have adopted and implemented the groundwater legislation that includes provision for rainwater harvesting, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry said on Thursday.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweshwar Tudu said the ministry circulated a model bill to all the states and Union Territories to enable them to enact a suitable groundwater legislation.

"So far, 21 states/Union Territories have adopted and implemented the groundwater legislation on the lines of the model bill, including West Bengal," Tudu said in a written response.

The states and Union Territories where the legislation has been implemented are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chandigarh (Regulations and Bylaws), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.