VARANASI, April 22 -- Citizens using groundwater will now have to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the competent authority. According to district magistrate Satyendra Kumar, the groundwater users of all categories must obtain an NOC or registration certificate from the UP Groundwater Department within 7 days for their groundwater extraction activities. Also, they are required to submit a report and relevant records regarding the current status of the rainwater harvesting/recharge systems adopted by them to the nodal officer, District Groundwater Management Council (Hydrogeologist, Groundwater Department), within seven days. These instructions were given following the promulgation of the Central Ground Water Authority's Notification in 2020 which pertains to regulating the groundwater extraction-issued in exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-section (3) of Section 3 (read with Section 5) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (Act No. 29 of 1986), and in compliance with the Uttar Pradesh Groundwater (Management and Regulation) Act, 2019, as well as the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal. It has been mandated that any extraction of groundwater must be undertaken only after obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Groundwater Department....