Through an official order issued on 15 March 2017 the FSSAI has stated that all food business operators engaged in extracting ground water will henceforth need to obtain an NOC form the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). This has been mandated by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation after the Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting held on 9 February 2017. The Ministry of Water Resources has cited the minutes of the meeting and issued a letter dated 15 February 2017 recommending the requirement for NOC. The Ministry has stated that all PDWU companies will need the mandatory NOC from CGWA before they begin extracting ground water.
About depletion in groundwater
According to a report, Indian states in the north are totally reliant on groundwater for irrigation purposes. Groundwater withdrawal has increased tenfold from 1950 to the present across the country. The satellite images also show that ground water in the northern regions has indeed declined. This is a worrying trend and the government has begun to develop policies that can prevent excessive extraction of ground water.
In the wake of ground water depletion in Maharashtra, the state government could stop sanctioning any new activity that requires a lot of ground water in those districts where ground water is depleting fast. Experts have recommended the use of recycled-waste water for agricultural purposes.
All industries that extract ground water will now have to take NOC from the CGWA whether they are new or old. According to the 2012 guidelines only new companies were required to apply for NOC. However, now it is mandatory for all food business operators extracting ground water to get the NOC from CGWA before continuing to extract ground water. This could impact bottling plants and water tanker companies but most experts are of the view that this move would prevent ground water depletion if enforced strictly.
Ground water testing
Bore well water which is basically extracted from the ground is widely used for agricultural practices and as a source of potable/drinking water. It is also used by beverage companies, bottling plants and pharmaceutical companies in their operations. Bore-well water therefore needs to be tested annually to ensure that it is safe for agricultural practices and for human consumption, Some of the factors that affect ground water are the pH levels as well as presence of elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride, iron, manganese, arsenic, radon and radium. Human activities can contaminate water with dangerous bacteria, chlorine, pesticides or herbicides. Therefore it is important to test bore-well water quality form time to time.
The presence of coliform bacteria indicates the presence of contaminants from human or animal faecal matter and animal waste. Use of fertilizers, leakage from septic tanks and leaking sewer lines indicate the presence of chemicals like nitrate in bore well water. These chemicals are harmful for health and bore-wells therefore must be tested at least once a year to ensure that the water is safe to drink and safe for agricultural purposes or it could contaminate the entire food chain.
