For checking misuse of groundwater for construction purposes, the Haryana Government is all set to implement the provisions of the “Draft Model Bill for Conservation, Protection and Regulation of Groundwater” in the state. As a petition filed in public interest on the issue came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, counsel for the State of Haryana told the Bench that the government was in the process of implementing the provisions of the model Bill. The Bench was also told that already several rounds of meetings have been held to discuss the issue. The objectives of the Bill are aimed at ensuring the groundwater is protected, conserved and regulated so as to meet the basic human and livestock needs, to promote sustainable groundwater use in the public interest based on a long-term protection of available resources, to ensure that the protection, conservation and regulation of groundwater is integrated with the protection, conservation and regulation of surface water to ensure conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater and to protect ecosystem and its biological diversity. During the hearing, Haryana Urban Development Authority chief administrator AK Singh also placed before the Bench the status report on progress of water treatment plant in Gurgaon. He informed the Bench headed by Justice Jasbir Singh that three units have been made functional to provide about 20 MGD (Millions Gallons Daily), which could be used in construction purposes. Digging deep into the issue of groundwater conservation in Gurgaon, the High Court had earlier made it clear that new construction licences would not be issued to builders without undertaking against the use of groundwater for construction. For preventing the illicit use of underground water by builders in Gurgaon, the High Court had also directed the State of Haryana to constitute a committee for visiting construction sites. The Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner was also directed to hold a meeting with the Central Groundwater Board for constituting the committee for checking illegal borewell connections used for construction works in Gurgaon. The Bench also directed the continuation of its previous directions against the issuance of new licences to builders till they gave an undertaking that underground water would not be used for construction purposes.