A curious case of alleged 'unscientific' certification has muddied Mumbai's groundwater scenario. The Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA) has come under sharp scrutiny as official records reveal a major contradiction: while authorities classify Mumbai's aquifers under the 'Safe' category, they admit they do not possess data on commercial groundwater extraction, tanker withdrawals, or illegal borewell operations. An aquifer is a body of rock and/or sediment that holds groundwater.
Contradictory Official Records
The loophole is startling. Documents accessed by TOI show that the Pune-based GSDA, which falls under the state government's water supply and sanitation department, in its 2024-25 groundwater resource assessment, categorized Mumbai as hydrologically 'safe'. However, experts wonder if that claim holds water because the agency simultaneously acknowledged that data on commercial groundwater extraction and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) issued by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) were unavailable to it.
Impact of Over-Extraction
The GSDA disclosure has triggered serious questions over how groundwater safety is being assessed in a city witnessing rampant tanker operations, large-scale construction dewatering, and widespread commercial borewell usage. Recently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) admitted that many wells dug for Metro Rail construction experienced an influx of saline water, rendering them non-potable permanently. Experts say over-extraction is drying up aquifers, leaving scope for saline water to enter, which also poses a serious threat of the city's land turning infertile.
Activist Challenges Classification
Activist Sureshkumar Dhoka has challenged the GSDA's classification of the city as hydrologically safe in a representation to the water supply and sanitation department, alleging that the assessment was scientifically incomplete as it ignored tanker extraction zones, illegal borewells, and coastal aquifer stress. Authorities contacted by TOI maintained that inspections were conducted as per existing procedures and that action would depend on jurisdictional and regulatory provisions.
Regulatory Vacuum
Dhoka also pointed to a regulatory vacuum in Maharashtra's groundwater governance. The state's earlier groundwater law of 1993 was replaced by a new Act in 2014, but rules under the legislation are yet to be framed, effectively rendering the law 'a toothless tiger'. According to the activist, the CGWA grants NOCs for commercial extraction while district authorities lack operational powers in the absence of state rules. He said that while the BMC grants permissions and conducts inspections, it lacks enforcement powers under the Environment Protection Act and CGWA guidelines, leaving agencies as 'spectators' despite widespread extraction violations.
Dhoka claimed that police insist one of the concerned authorities must formally come forward as a complainant before criminal action can proceed, resulting in prolonged inaction despite repeated complaints over illegal commercial exploitation of groundwater.
Pressure from Construction and Tanker Economy
Experts warn that Mumbai's booming construction sector and shadow tanker economy are placing increasing pressure on underground aquifers. The city has over 6,000 active construction sites involving deep basement excavation and continuous dewatering operations that pump out massive quantities of groundwater daily.
Case Study: Khush House
The controversy intensified after complaints of alleged illegal groundwater extraction and tanker supply from Khush House, a property along DN Road, Fort, triggered correspondence between the BMC, police, and district administration. The complaint led to inspections involving BMC’s A ward, police, and groundwater authorities. The civic inspection of April 18 reportedly found no 'illegal borewell' in operation. However, the same inspection acknowledged the presence of a well belonging to an infrastructure major from where water extraction was allegedly taking place. Officials also recorded tanker movement from the premises, indicating possible commercial groundwater use. The civic body sought police intervention, but records show that responsibility continued to swing between the authorities.
Wider Regulatory Gaps
The case has exposed wider regulatory gaps across Mumbai. A BMC list submitted by the insecticide officer – the authority empowered to grant permissions for wells – identified 385 wells across the city and suburbs allegedly extracting groundwater commercially without mandatory CGWA NOCs. Despite provisions of the Environment Protection Act and police powers under IPC sections relating to theft and public nuisance, activists say there have been no visible FIRs or prosecutions in most cases.
Past Studies and Environmental Concerns
Past GSDA studies have warned that marginal groundwater rises in parts of Mumbai were largely due to leaking pipelines rather than natural recharge. Rapid concretisation, shrinking open spaces, and falling percolation zones have further weakened groundwater replenishment. Studies in coastal areas such as Juhu, Colaba, and Dharavi have flagged rising salinity intrusion and deteriorating groundwater quality linked to excessive extraction.
Fragmented Accountability
Experts say the records expose a deeper systemic problem: fragmented accountability. While GSDA assesses groundwater status, CGWA grants permissions, BMC conducts inspections, and police handle complaints. No single authority is directly accountable for monitoring or enforcing commercial groundwater extraction in Mumbai.
GSDA's Defense
GSDA sources said that the agency's primary mandate relates to groundwater work in rural areas and, as per the 1971 government resolution, it does not maintain offices in Mumbai and Mumbai suburban districts. Groundwater resource assessment in Maharashtra is carried out jointly by GSDA and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) as per the Groundwater Resource Estimation Committee-2015 guidelines, with assessment data provided by CGWB. Commercial groundwater extraction in Maharashtra is regulated by the CGWA under its 2020 guidelines, and NOCs for industries, mining, and infrastructure projects are issued by CGWA through the NOCAP portal, with copies forwarded to district collectors. In cases of violation or non-compliance with NOC conditions, authorised officers may initiate proceedings under Sections 15 to 21 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Therefore, data regarding commercial groundwater extraction and related permissions is not maintained by GSDA. However, they could not clarify why, if they lacked powers and machinery to survey, certify, and take penal actions in urban areas such as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, they certified city waters as 'safe', which some activists doubted as an 'illegal favour' to central or state agencies or private parties involved.
