Penalty and Permit Fees Raised Under Ranchi’s Updated Borewell Policy
In a bid to address the critical depletion of groundwater, Ranchi's municipal corporation has rolled out a stricter framework for borewell drilling. The updated policy not only links borewell permission to functional rainwater harvesting systems but also introduces higher penalties and a revised fee schedule.
Residential owners who bypass the permission process will now incur a fine of INR 25,000, while commercial entities face a penalty of INR 100,000. The corporation also retains the authority to seal any unauthorized borewell discovered during routine inspections.
The fee structure is tiered. For residential properties covering up to 5,000 square feet, the permit cost is set at INR 2,500; larger homes exceeding that area are charged INR 5,000. Commercial properties up to 1,000 square feet must pay INR 10,000, and those larger than 1,000 square feet are billed at INR 10 per square foot.
Applicants must submit a complete application package to the water supply wing, including a government‑issued ID, property tax receipt, GPS‑tagged images of the intended borewell site, details and photographs of the rainwater harvesting system, and a sworn declaration that the borewell will serve only private drinking and domestic water needs.
The new rule requires that borewell work commence within fifteen days of approval; otherwise, the permission is automatically revoked. Only one borewell per owner per building is permitted, and properties already equipped with a six‑inch borewell are ineligible for a new four‑inch borewell.
Additional enforcement measures include mandatory flow‑meter installation for commercial wells and an outright ban on drilling on government land, roads, rivers, or drainage channels. A senior or assistant engineer will inspect the site before final clearance, confirming the active status of the rainwater harvesting system.
After drilling, owners must report the depth of the water table and the borewell’s total depth to the municipal corporation, ensuring that the data is incorporated into the city’s water resource monitoring system.