The Punjab government will start levying charges for extracting groundwater from the state on all non-exempted users from February 1. The new directions, however, do not cover groundwater use for agriculture, drinking and domestic purposes.

• The state water regulation and development authority issued a notification in this regard.
• The new directions, however, do not cover groundwater use for agriculture, drinking and domestic purposes, said an official statement, adding that the Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority (PWRDA) has notified Punjab Groundwater Extraction and Conservation Directions, 2023.