India, July 11 -- All domestic and commercial borewells in Delhi will have to be fitted with water meters and users will be charged based on the amount of groundwater they extract under a new borewell policy being drafted by the Delhi government, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday. The proposed policy will also provide a mechanism to regularise thousands of unauthorised borewells currently operating across the Capital.

Officials said the draft policy has been prepared, although the government is yet to finalise the tariff for groundwater extraction.

A senior government official, requesting anonymity, said the policy seeks to move beyond the current system of one-time approvals by introducing continuous monitoring and user...