E-Paper
NGT seeks response from Pune collector on alleged illegal groundwater extraction in Kondhwa
The NGT directed Pune authorities to respond to claims of illegal groundwater extraction by a private supplier in Kondhwa, impacting local resources.
Pune: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Western Bench on Wednesday directed the Pune district collector and authorities with groundwater regulation to submit responses in a case alleging unauthorised extraction of groundwater by a Kondhwa-based private water supplier.
The tribunal gave the instruction on an application filed by Ganesh Salunke of Pune, who raised concerns over large-scale groundwater depletion in Kondhwa Budruk due to alleged illegal commercial water supply operations. Salunke also sought criminal action against the tanker operators involved.
According to the application, respondents Rashid Gafur Kazi and Rehan Rashid Kazare are the owners of two open wells and multiple borewells located at survey number number 55/4 in Kondhwa Budruk. The applicant alleged that groundwater is being extracted from these sources for commercial purposes without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), its Maharashtra state unit, CGWB regional director, or the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA).
The plea claimed that the respondents own at least five water tankers and, along with other private parties, are extracting around three lakh litres of groundwater every day. This, the applicant contended, has resulted in significant depletion of groundwater levels, adversely affecting residents and posing a serious environmental risk.
Seeking urgent intervention, Salunke urged the tribunal to direct the Pune district collector to seal the wells and borewells operating at the site, confiscate the water tankers involved in the alleged illegal activity, and initiate criminal proceedings against the parties concerned.
After hearing the submissions, the NGT bench comprising judicial member Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member SK Bajpayee observed that a “substantial question of environment” was involved in the matter. The tribunal admitted the application and directed its registry to issue notices to all respondents, including the district collector and groundwater authorities.
The respondents have been asked to file their replies within four weeks. The matter has been listed for further consideration on February 16, 2026.
