RTI shows FIR filed against 46 industrial units for illegal water withdrawal
21 Jun, 2013The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that the Department of Water Resources of Rourkela district has lodged FIR against 46 industrial units for illegal withdrawal of water.
According to an agreement, no withdrawal of water is permitted from April 1 to June 30 every year even from natural sources, including bore wells. However, there have been allegations of illegal drawing of water by several industrial houses from various sources for their industrial consumption, leading to depletion of groundwater level. The district administration had initiated action against the industrial houses in this regard. After a complaint from the executive engineer (irrigation), the ADM had passed on order to seal all the bore well points of Scan Steel Limited following which a team of district administration has sealed all 12 bore well units of Scan Steel Limited.
The company had an agreement with the water resources department regarding withdrawal of water from Safei River. But even after the agreement expired in October 2012, the company continued to draw water from the bore wells.