Neemuch declared ‘water-stressed zone’, tube well drilling banned till June 30

Indore: The entire Neemuch district has been declared a ‘water-stressed zone' under the MP Drinking Water Preservation Act, 1986, effective immediately.Collector Himanshu Chandra imposed a ban on extraction of water for non-domestic purposes and prohibited unauthorised drilling of new tube wells across the district.To prioritise drinking water for people, the administration has restricted use of all natural and man-made water bodies. Extraction of water from rivers, canals, streams, waterfalls, lakes, rivulets, tube wells or open wells for any purpose other than drinking and essential domestic use has been banned. Under Section 6(1) of the Act, all private and non-governmental tube well drilling is strictly prohibited to prevent further decline in the water table.The Collector has issued a warning to operators of tube well and boring machines. No boring machine can be operated or used for drilling without explicit permission from the concerned sub-divisional magistrate. Any machine found operating illegally will be seized immediately, and an FIR will be registered against the owner and operator.The restrictive orders will remain in force until June 30. Citizens have been asked to report any illegal drilling or water wastage to local administrative offices.