1 Jul 2009, 1857 hrs IST

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The state government will make necessary amendments in the Kerala Ground Water Regulation Act-2002 (KGWRA) to check over exploitation of ground water by individuals for commercial purpose, Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran informed the state assembly today.

The government had information that individuals were using ground water for commercial purpose. It was planning to introduce the new Act after making necessary amendments to check over exploitation of ground water through bore wells this year, he said while replying to P T A Rahim (CPI-M-IND).

Since there was no strict Act in the state to control digging of bore wells and checking the over exploitation of water for commercial purpose, the amendments would help to take action against those who misuse water, he added.

Premachandran said the government had constituted a committee with environmentalists and legal experts as members to study about the impact and loss to the farmers and local people in Plachimada Panchayat due to over exploitation of ground water by the soft drink giant Coca-Cola.

Stating that the government had taken the problem of the people in Plachimada Panchayat of over exploitation of water as a policy matter, he said necessary compensation would be provided to the people after receiving the report from the committee.

The minister said the government had submitted a Rs 110 crore project to the central government for recharging open dug wells in the state.

Pointing out that the Centre had given administrative sanction for Rs 1,200 crore ''Jalanidhi'' project in 400 villages in the state, he said representatives from the World Bank would visit the state soon and the Government intended to complete the project in six years.

The government had taken initiatives for a comprehensive project to provide drinking water to all SC/ST and adivasi colonies in the state, he added.

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