The Water Resources Department (WRD) will soon shift to an online system for issuing no-objection certificates (NOC) for groundwater extraction by industries and commercial users in Tamil Nadu. It is expected to improve the monitoring of approvals and streamline the clearance process.

The State Ground and Surface Water Data Centre, WRD, provides no-objection certificates manually to water-based industries for groundwater extraction through sinking borewells.

Officials of the WRD said work is in progress to issue fresh NOCs through the online portal in about a month.

Of the total 1,202 revenue firkas across the State, nearly 386 firkas have been categorised as over-exploited and 62 others as critical groundwater zones based on the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment as of March 2025. Groundwater extraction is allowed only in other firkas identified as safe and semi-critical. Sivagangai, Thoothukudi, Ariyalur, Chengalpattu, and Pudukottai are among the districts with the most number of safe zones.

On average, the department provided NOCs to about 2,500 water-based industries every year in the State. As of now, a service charge of ₹6,000 is levied for each borewell/open well sunk.

Water Resources Act

It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had passed the Tamil Nadu Water Resources (Regulation, Management and Augmentation) Bill, 2026, in January this year. However, the Act is yet to come into force, as it is awaiting assent, officials said.

The rules and regulations for groundwater extraction can be framed only after the Act takes effect. The Act would empower Tamil Nadu Water Resources Management Authority to fix tariff for groundwater drawal by commercial users and prescribe penalties for the unauthorised extraction for commercial purposes. Once the rules are in place, private water tankers drawing water for domestic and commercial purposes, along with other users, would also be brought under its ambit, officials said.

Currently, water-based industries are required to renew license/NOCs every year. The department is planning to reduce the time taken for approval to 30-40 days, including field inspection, through the online system.

While welcoming the move to reduce delays, E. Saravanan, general secretary, Greater Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, said the department must extend the validity of the approval to three years as being done by the Revenue Department. While both departments issue NOCs for groundwater drawal in semi-critical and safe groundwater zones, approval from the Revenue Divisional Office is required in places earmarked for Chennai’s water supply. At present, the approval process takes up to five months and requires manual submission of various documents related to groundwater drawal and water level in observation wells. The shift to an online system would make the process easier and quicker, he said.