New Delhi, Nov. 10 -- The Supreme Court examining the issue of pollution in the river systems in Rajasthan has called for a report on the groundwater situation in the industrial towns of Jodhpur, Balotra and Pali over concerns of grave threat to the region's water security and ecology over continued extraction by industrial units. In an order passed on October 26, made public recently, the top court directed the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to provide information by November 27 on the status of groundwater availability, extraction and depletion to assess the continuation of industrial activity in the three towns. The court was hearing a suo motu petition on the pollution in the Jojari-Luni-Bandi river system in the state which serves as a lifeline to nearly 2 million people staying along these rivers. An application filed in these proceedings by Digvijay Singh Jasol, a local resident, requested the court not to permit industrial activity in Balotra, classified as a "dark zone/over-exploited area" since the 1990s due to heavy groundwater extraction without sufficient recharge. Taking note of these concerns, a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said, "The CGWA shall file an affidavit setting out the status of groundwater availability, extraction and depletion in the districts of Jodhpur, Balotra and Pali, along with its assessment of the prevailing groundwater situation in these districts." The court directed the Registry of the court to add CGWA as a respondent within a week and kept the matter for further consideration on November 27. Jasol informed the court that the operation of industrial units and the possible consequences for agriculture underscore the need for a coordinated assessment of the relationship between mining, industrial pollution and the ecological condition of the river systems....