Abstract
Despite lying in the Himalayas’ foothills and its undulating topography and hilly terrain, groundwater emerges as a critical water resource of this State. So much so that the State enacted the Himachal Pradesh Groundwater Act, 2005 along with the necessary rules. This chapter identifies the reasons that led to the development of the groundwater management framework in the State. It presents a critical analysis of the law, regulations, and policies in the light of judicial decisions and the unique challenges that the State faces. It argues the need to provide greater space for groundwater experts in the State Groundwater Authority to ensure environmentally sustainable decision-making. Furthermore, it erects a case for groundwater management decisions to be based on scientific inputs involving the panchayats and local communities. It concludes that traditional knowledge would also be critical in groundwater augmentation efforts.
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Notes
- 1.
Bhatt [1].
- 2.
Editorial [2].
- 3.
Know India [3].
- 4.
Major valleys in the state are Indora Nurpur and Kangra-Palampur valleys in district Kangra, Una valley in district Una, Balh valley in district Mandi, Nalagarh valley in district Solan and Paonta valley in district Sirmaur.
- 5.
The Siwalik comprises of boulder, conglomerate, sandstone, and clay.
- 6.
Sirmaur group comprises of shale, sandstone, and clay.
- 7.
Central Groundwater Board [4].
- 8.
Sharma [5].
- 9.
water governance facility report, groundwater governance in india: stumbling blocks for law and compliance 3 (2013).
- 10.
Ashwin [6].
- 11.
Supra note 9.
- 12.
Narasimhan [7].
- 13.
Sarkar [8].
- 14.
Id. at 65.
- 15.
Id. at 66.
- 16.
Wakode et al [9].
- 17.
Based on this Model Bill, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry have enacted and implemented groundwater legislation.
- 18.
Assented by the Governor on 27 October 2005.
- 19.
Engineer-in-Chief, Irrigation, and Public Health (ii) Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, HP, (iii) Director, Industries, HP, (iv) Director, Rural Development and Panchyati Raj Department, HP, (v) Director, Agriculture Department, HP, (vi) Head, Remote Sensing Cell, HP, (vii) Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board, HP, (viii) Nominee of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, (ix) Regional Director, Central Groundwater Board (x) Superintending Engineer (Planning and Investigation Unit-II), Irrigation and Public Health Department.
- 20.
The Himachal Pradesh Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Act, 2005, § 4(1).
- 21.
Id. at § 5(7).
- 22.
Government of Himachal Pradesh, Irrigation, and Public Health Department, Notification No. IPH-B(A) 3-3/2018-1 (Notified on November 29, 2019).
- 23.
Supra note 20 at §7(5)(f).
- 24.
Id. at § 8.
- 25.
Id. at § 14.
- 26.
Id. at § 15(3).
- 27.
Devinder Singh Kalta v. State of HP, CWPIL No. 79 of 2018 (India).
- 28.
Chetan Kumar v. The Chief Secretary, CWP No. 1809 of 2018 (India).
- 29.
Soman [10]; see Acton v. Blundell, [1843] 151 ER 1223.
- 30.
Cullet [11].
- 31.
Id.
- 32.
In Re: Bhavani River-Shakti Sugars Ltd., (1998) 6 SCC 335 (India); see also Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India, (1995) 3 SCC 77 (India).
- 33.
Hinch Lal Tiwari v. Kamala Devi, (2001) 6 SCC 496 (India).
- 34.
Supra note at 20 § 7.
- 35.
Id. at § 12.
- 36.
Id. at §7(5)(b).
- 37.
Id. at § 7(3).
- 38.
Id. at rule 30.
- 39.
Id. at rule 30(2).
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Shukla, G. (2021). Himachal Pradesh. In: Khan, S.A., Puthucherril, T.G., Paul, S.R. (eds) Groundwater Law and Management in India. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2617-3_14
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