SC seeks groundwater report on 3 industrial towns in Rajasthan

The Supreme Court examining the issue of pollution in the river systems in Rajasthan has called for a report on the groundwater situation in the industrial towns of Jodhpur, Balotra and Pali over concerns of grave threat to the region’s water security and ecology over continued extraction by industrial units.India NewsIn an order passed on October 26, made public recently, the top court directed the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to provide information by November 27 on the status of groundwater availability, extraction and depletion to assess the continuation of industrial activity in the three towns.The court was hearing a suo motu petition on the pollution in the Jojari-Luni-Bandi river system in the state which serves as a lifeline to nearly 2 million people staying along these rivers. An application filed in these proceedings by Digvijay Singh Jasol, a local resident, requested the court not to permit industrial activity in Balotra, classified as a “dark zone/over-exploited area” since the 1990s due to heavy groundwater extraction without sufficient recharge.Taking note of these concerns, a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said, “The CGWA shall file an affidavit setting out the status of groundwater availability, extraction and depletion in the districts of Jodhpur, Balotra and Pali, along with its assessment of the prevailing groundwater situation in these districts.”The court directed the Registry of the court to add CGWA as a respondent within a week and kept the matter for further consideration on November 27.Jasol informed the court that the operation of industrial units and the possible consequences for agriculture underscore the need for a coordinated assessment of the relationship between mining, industrial pollution and the ecological condition of the river systems.The bench said, “The state cannot discharge its obligation to protect the river systems merely by reporting the number of cases detected, FIRs registered, penalties recovered or leases granted. The relevant consideration is whether the measures adopted are capable of preventing further degradation and securing the restoration of the affected areas.”A note circulated by Jasol, who appeared in person, cited a July 9, 2015, order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which records the precarious situation facing the region and prohibited groundwater extraction for commercial and industrial purposes. Jasol said, “Permitting extraction for industrial activities, when groundwater resources were already severely depleted, posed a grave threat to the region’s water security and ecology.”The court asked the state to respond to these concerns as it examined other equally disturbing concerns relating to protection of the Jojari-Luni-Bandi river ecosystem, one of them being illegal sand mining.The court directed the Rajasthan government to incorporate an “anonymous” complaint mechanism for reporting instances of illegal sand mining in these rivers as part of an “Integrated Public Reporting and Environmental Grievance Redressal Mechanism” directed to be established by court’s order of August 7 this year. This mechanism was to provide appropriate recording, examination and referral of complaints to the competent authorities for necessary action.Last month, the court had pulled up the Rajasthan government for legitimising illegal mining by converting the stretches where sand was illegally mined into mining leases. This fact was brought to the court’s attention by a high powered oversight committee headed by former Rajasthan high court judge, justice (retd) Sangeet Lodha, following spot visits.The committee had observed mining operations extending over substantial lengths of the rivers and, at places, covering practically their entire width. Such extensive and continuous excavation virtually eliminates undisturbed portions necessary for maintaining natural river morphology, sediment movement, groundwater recharge and ecological regeneration, the committee said.The court formed a special investigation team (SIT) led by an officer of Inspector General rank to undertake a comprehensive probe into the illegal network behind the organised illegal sand mining activities in the three rivers and their tributaries. The court directed the investigation to also identify the persons and entities involved in such activities and the role of public officials in facilitating or enabling such operations. A report in this regard will be tabled in court before the next date of hearing.As steps to preserve the water flow in the three rivers is already underway as part of court’s past orders, the court restrained the Rajasthan government from granting any further permission for the establishment of new industrial units along or in the vicinity of the riverine ecosystem. This was done to facilitate the exercise of identifying the High Flood Line and the buffer zones by a committee headed by the state chief secretary.The court further directed an additional protective zone of 100 metres to be maintained on either side of the recorded outer boundaries of the rivers with a specific prohibition on any “red category” industry (most polluting) to be established within a distance of 500 metres from the the outer boundaries of the rivers.At the same time, several textile units led by advocate Rishabh Sancheti urged the court for a direction to the state for extending financial assistance in establishing zero liquid discharge (ZLD) plants. The court directed the state to formulate a comprehensive policy in this regard. Pending such a policy, the court directed the state to consider applications by industrial units seeking financial assistance in this regard.The top court took suo motu cognisance in September 2025 of news reports depicting the alarming situation caused by pollution of river Jojari river, which caters to a 2 million population. It found that sewage and effluent-mixed water caused adverse impacts on crops, and the cattle consuming the water and fodder grown using such water have reported adverse health impacts, including infertility, miscarriage and skin diseases.In November, justice Lodha committee was formed to propose a River Restoration and Rejuvenation Plan for the Jojari-Luni-Bandi river system.