Amravati: The Amravati district administration has imposed stringent restrictions on groundwater extraction, declaring all govt, semi-govt, gram panchayat and municipal council drinking-water sources as “protected sources” across the district.
District Collector and District Disaster Management Authority chairperson Ashish Yerekar has ordered that no new well or borewell be dug within 500 metres of a notified public drinking-water source. Violators will face seizure of pumps, pipelines, cables and borewell machinery, besides criminal action under the Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Act, 2009, Maharashtra Irrigation Act, 1976, Disaster Management Act, 2005 and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the order states. The restrictions will remain in force across the district’s revenue jurisdiction until June 30, 2027, or until further orders. Extraction from existing wells within the 500-metre zone will also be regulated according to drinking-water requirements.
The restriction applies to agricultural, industrial, commercial and private use. The move is aimed at ensuring drinking water for citizens and livestock during the coming summer. In villages where water scarcity has already been declared or the groundwater scarcity index is high as per GWD, extraction from all wells and borewells within a 1km radius of public drinking-water sources will be restricted. The Collector has also prohibited unauthorised lifting of water from major, medium and minor irrigation projects, lakes, rivers and reservoirs for agricultural or commercial purposes. Any such extraction will require permission from the Water Resources Department. Village tanks, storage tanks and local water bodies have been ordered to be reserved for drinking water. Officials have been directed to assess available stocks and plan their use judiciously. Sub-Divisional Officers of Amravati, Morshi, Chandur Railway, Daryapur, Dharni, Achalpur and Tiwsa-Bhatkuli have been made responsible for enforcement. Special squads will conduct regular inspections to check unauthorised extraction. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has been directed to disconnect power supply to agricultural pumps found drawing water illegally from unauthorised wells or borewells in notified areas. Pumps operating through unauthorised connections or direct power supply will also be traced and action taken.
All local self-government bodies, including Amravati Municipal Corporation, municipal councils, nagar panchayats and gram panchayats, have been directed to use water economically and impose a minimum 10% cut in water consumption from October 16, 2026. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nagpur | Silver Rate in Nagpur | Bank Holidays in Nagpur | Public Holidays in Nagpur | Petrol Price in Nagpur | Diesel Price in Nagpur | CNG Price in Nagpur | LPG Price in Nagpur Stay updated with the latest Nagpur news. They have also been asked to create awareness about water conservation and prioritise water use for public parks, gardens and other places. Download the TOI App.