Summary:
The draft rules were introduced as part of the Groundwater Act. Sources said the rules may even be implemented by June this year.Once implemented, Maharashtra may be the first state to have a comprehensive groundwater preservation and management mechanism. PUNE: The Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA) is likely to implement the draft Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Rules, 2018, once the model code of conduct is lifted.Sources in the GSDA told TOI that the implementation of the rules, which were released in September 2018, has gained urgency considering the recurrent drought-like conditions in the state. These rules were drafted on the basis of the groundwater guidelines introduced by the Union government. The cess will be two times the cess levied by Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority..