JUDGMENT

Delivered by Smt. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial Member

1. The 2^nd respondent, who is the Project Director of the Agence Fran(cid:231)aise de DØveloppement called AFD, for the purpose of augmentation of water supply sources and rehabilitation of the water system in the urban areas of Puducherry District (Phase I) initiated the AFD Project. The said project with an estimated budget of Rs. 534 crore, involves the erection of tube wells in the villages of Kaduvanur, Karayambutur, Panayadikuppam, and Manamedu to ensure access to quality drinking water.

2. The present challenge is to the said project by the applicants’ raising concerns about its environmental impact and potential depletion of groundwater resources. Their primordial contention is that the respondents failed to take adequate measures to replenish groundwater levels despite the extraction activities proposed under the project. In this regard, the 3rd respondent was directed to furnish the details regarding the fund allocated for ground water recharge.

3. The said AFD project which is now questioned sought permission from the 3^rd respondent, Ground Water Authority, Puducherry for installation of deep borewells