The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has cancelled the groundwater No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of project proponents who did not file their Self-Compliance Report on time. According to a CGWA communication circulated to stakeholders in October 2026, two reminders were sent to defaulting proponents, on 8 September 2026 and 23 September 2026. NOCs for which the report was still not filed by 7 October 2026 have been cancelled.
The same communication says affected proponents may apply for reinstatement by paying a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 under the CGWA guidelines and submitting the pending report. The Bhu-Neer portal now has a reinstatement option, and NIC has published a user manual for it. This post explains the penalty, the reinstatement steps, and what packaged drinking water plants and other groundwater users should do now.
What exactly happened
| Date | Step (as stated in the CGWA communication) |
|---|---|
| 8 September 2026 | First reminder to proponents who had not filed the Self-Compliance Report |
| 23 September 2026 | Second reminder |
| 7 October 2026 | NOCs for which the Self-Compliance Report had not been submitted by this date were cancelled |
| October 2026 | Reinstatement opened on payment of Rs 1,00,000 plus submission of the pending report |
The NOC is the permission to draw groundwater. Once it is cancelled, the unit no longer holds a valid NOC until CGWA reinstates it. The guidelines list enforcement measures for violations, including sealing of unauthorised groundwater abstraction structures and disconnection of electricity. Plants should treat a cancelled NOC as urgent.
Where the Rs 1 lakh penalty comes from
The CGWA guidelines notified on 24 September 2020 (S.O. 3289(E)) say a penalty is imposed for non-compliance of NOC conditions at the rates in Table 16.1. Item 12 of that table, "Non Submission of Self Compliance report", carries Rs 1,00,000. The full table is below, because the Self-Compliance Report asks about most of these items, and a gap found during verification can lead to further penalties.
| S. No. | Non-compliance (Table 16.1, CGWA guidelines 2020) | Penalty (Rs) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digital water flow meter with telemetry not installed or faulty | 2,00,000 |
| 2(a) | Undisclosed or additional abstraction structures: non-functional | 2,00,000 per structure |
| 2(b) | Undisclosed or additional abstraction structures: defunct or abandoned | 1,00,000 per structure |
| 3 | Fresh water zones reported as brackish or saline in the application | 2,00,000 |
| 4 | Piezometer not installed | 2,00,000 |
| 5 | Digital water level recorder (DWLR) or telemetry not installed or faulty | 1,00,000 |
| 6 | Recharge or water conservation structures not built or of inadequate capacity | 5,00,000 |
| 7 | Recharge structures not maintained | 2,00,000 |
| 8 | Injection of treated or untreated water into the aquifer (plus cost of aquifer remediation) | 10,00,000 |
| 9 | Water level or water quality data not submitted | 50,000 |
| 10 | Daily withdrawal log book not kept, or abstraction data not submitted | 50,000 |
| 11 | Photographs of recharge structures not submitted | 50,000 |
| 12 | Self-Compliance Report not submitted | 1,00,000 |
| 13 | Structures drilled by unauthorised or unregistered rigs | 1,00,000 per structure |
| 14 | Water supply tankers not registered | 5,00,000 |
| 15 | False information or undertaking submitted | 1,00,000 |
Table 16.2 of the same guidelines also sets charges for changes to an issued NOC: Rs 10,000 for a change in recharge quantum, and Rs 5,000 each for a change in user ID, change in firm name, extension of the NOC, a duplicate NOC, a corrigendum, and any other correction. Item 15 is worth noting: entering details that do not match the site, such as a meter that is not working, can itself attract a Rs 1,00,000 penalty.
How reinstatement works on the Bhu-Neer portal
The NIC user manual "Reinstatement of Cancelled NOCs" describes these steps:
- Log in to the Bhu-Neer portal with the proponent's registered username or email.
- Open Dashboard > Completed. A cancelled NOC shows Application Status "Approved" but NOC Status "Cancelled".
- Click Reinstate in the Action column and confirm "Yes, Reinstate". The button appears only where the portal allows reinstatement.
- On the NOC Reinstate Request Details screen, both self-compliance phases show "Payment Pending". Click Payment, check the invoice (the manual's example shows Penalty Charges of Rs 1,00,000) and pay through the gateway. Do not pay twice while a transaction is processing.
- After payment, use View Receipt and View Invoice, then click Process under Self-Compliance Phase 1.
- Complete Phase 1 and click "Final Submit Self Compliance Phase-1".
- Click Process under Phase 2, complete Phase 2 and submit.
- Both phases then show "Under Verification". The manual says this does not mean the NOC has been reinstated. An Evaluation Officer at CGWA checks the reports, payment and photographs. If verification succeeds, the NOC is reinstated; if not, it stays cancelled.
What you need ready before you start
| Section | Details and uploads asked for |
|---|---|
| Phase 1: application details | Confirm groundwater abstraction and dewatering quantities (m³/day and m³/year) against the NOC; number of structures and flow meters |
| Phase 1: water flow meters | Meter ID, well type, lifting device, aquifer details, drilling agency, data logger ID, installation date, geotagged photo, data file (PDF and Excel/CSV) |
| Phase 1: abstraction structures | Each borewell or tubewell with its linked meter, geotagged photo (latitude and longitude) and construction date |
| Phase 1: telemetry | Whether telemetry is installed, vendor name and contact, telemetry access details, supporting PDF |
| Phase 2: piezometer | Structure type, DWLR, geotagged photo, station code, vendor, data logger ID |
| Phase 2: water quality | Whether analysed by a government-approved lab, number of samples, report (PDF) |
| Phase 2: flow meter calibration | Date of calibration and calibration certificate (PDF) |
| Phase 2: recharge / rainwater harvesting | Report (PDF) and geotagged photo |
| Phase 2: STP and ETP | Whether installed, with geotagged photos |
The portal's disclaimer warns that violations attract penalties under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Tables 16.1 and 16.2 of the 2020 guidelines. Every entry should match what an inspector would find on site.
What this means for water plant owners
- Check your NOC status today. Log in to Bhu-Neer, open Completed applications and look at the NOC Status column, even if you think your report was filed.
- If it shows Cancelled, act quickly. Pay the penalty, file both phases, and keep the receipt and invoice. Other departments, such as the pollution board, may also ask to see a valid groundwater NOC.
- Fix the site before you file. Calibrate the flow meter, repair telemetry, check the piezometer and DWLR, clean the recharge pits, get a fresh water quality test and take new geotagged photos. Filing a report that does not match the site risks a further penalty.
- If your NOC is still valid, diarise the self-compliance due date in your NOC letter and keep monthly meter readings, the daily log book and the annual calibration and water quality reports up to date.
- Remember the wider rules. New packaged drinking water units are not allowed in over-exploited blocks. Read our CGWA NOC service page, the CGWA NOC guide for borewells and the full approval checklist for a water plant.
How ClearPath Compliance India can help
We prepare and file CGWA NOC applications, renewals and Self-Compliance Reports on the Bhu-Neer portal. For cancelled NOCs we check what is pending, organise meter, telemetry, piezometer and recharge records and geotagged photos, file Phase 1 and Phase 2, and follow up during verification. We also handle the FSSAI licence and Pollution Control Board CTE/CTO for the same plant. Call +91 92521 92607 or message us on WhatsApp.
General information only, not legal advice. Dates, amounts and steps are as stated in the CGWA communication of October 2026, the CGWA guidelines notified on 24 September 2020 (Tables 16.1 and 16.2) and the NIC Bhu-Neer user manual "Reinstatement of Cancelled NOCs"; the portal and rules may change, so always follow the latest instructions on the Bhu-Neer portal and from CGWA. Reinstatement is subject to verification and approval by CGWA. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by any organisation named.
Sources: CGWA communication to stakeholders on cancellation of NOCs for non-submission of the Self-Compliance Report, October 2026; CGWA Guidelines to regulate and control ground water extraction in India, S.O. 3289(E), Gazette of India, 24 September 2020, Section 16 and Tables 16.1 and 16.2; NIC, Bhu-Neer APP User Manual for Project Proponents, "Reinstatement of Cancelled NOCs".