Build digital groundwater monitoring system within 6 months, NGT tells Pune collector

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Pune district collector and Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to build integrated digital groundwater monitoring systems within six months.

The order responds to a March 2025 application by Pushkar Kulkarni, filed after a Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak in Pune in January 2025, raising concerns about groundwater contamination.

Pune reported 183 confirmed GBS cases and nine deaths by February 18, 2025, prompting calls for stricter groundwater regulation.

The application sought a district-wide survey of borewells, dug wells, and other groundwater sources, plus identification of contamination sources and strict implementation of extraction guidelines.

The NGT noted the GBS outbreak was controlled but emphasized the need for long-term mechanisms to regulate groundwater extraction and monitor water quality.