Parliament Question: Bhu-Neer Portal

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3025 ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025 BHU-NEER PORTAL 3025. SHRI ARUN BHARTI Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has launched the "Bhu-Neer" portal for issuing groundwater withdrawal permits in Bihar and if so, the details and key features thereof; (b) the manner in which the PAN-based single ID system and QR code-enabled NOCs ensure transparency and efficiency; (c) the details of the role of "Bhu-Neer" in addressing challenges related to groundwater management and withdrawal in Bihar; (d) whether the portal aligns with the objectives of sustainable water use and its impact on water conservation efforts and if so, the details thereof; and (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to expand the adoption of the portal across Bihar? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) & (b) “Bhu-Neer”, which is new state of the art portal, has been rolled out in 2024 by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, for the purpose of providing a smooth and efficient mechanism for regulation of ground water development and management in the country by providing a quick and easy to use platform for filing No Objection Certificate (NOC) applications for ground water abstraction. Applications seeking NOC for ground water abstraction can be filed on the Bhu-Neer portal by different categories of project proponents/users situated in any of the 19 States/UTs where the ground water regulation is being done by CGWA, which includes Bihar. The portal is developed with several advanced yet simple features so as to ensure transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in groundwater usage. Some of the latest and user-friendly features of Bhu- Neer portal include, Check eligibility feature for knowing the eligibility before applying, Online charges calculator, Query module for one-to-one interaction with CGWA officials, Real time SMS and e-mail alerts on the status of application etc. In particular, the feature of PAN based Single ID system provides ease of access and integration with other modules and payment gateways and QR code enabled NOCs feature has been created for enhanced security and ease of verification. 1(c) & (d) The Bhu-Neer portal is for the purpose of online application and processing of NOC for extraction of ground water by industries, infrastructure projects and mining projects as per the Guidelines dated 24.09.2020 notified by M/o Jal Shakti. The portal has been designed for effective implementation of the said Guidelines for groundwater regulation, thus playing a significant role in addressing the challenges related to groundwater extraction. By helping in enforcement of the Guidelines meant for curbing indiscriminate extraction of ground water, the Bhu-Neer contributes to sustainable development and management of ground water resources in the country, including Bihar. Further, the portal also seeks to make the projects comply with the water conservation measures prescribed in the Guidelines like construction of roof top rain water harvesting structures and installation of sewage treatment plants etc. (e) The Bhu-Neer Portal was launched by Hon’ble Minister, Jal Shakti providing wide publicity. Press release was also issued by the Ministry exclusively on the launch of Bhu-Neer portal with a view to provide country-wide news coverage to the subject, including Bihar. In addition, CGWA has been organizing workshops with various chambers of commerce and conducting Public Interaction Programmes (PIPs) to spread awareness and to hasten the pace of its adoption by the Project Proponents seeking to extract ground water. ***** 2