NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to hear a plea seeking direction to the Punjab government not to provide free electricity to farmers, which had allegedly led to over-exploitation of the groundwater for irrigation purposes. The apex issued notice to the Punjab government and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) on a plea filed NGO, Safal Bharat Guru Parampara, against grant of tubewell connections with free electricity.The NGO had moved SC the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissed its original application. A division bench comprising Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice P C Pant was told by senior advocate Narender Hooda, representing the NGO, that after a proper study the CGWB had already rung the alarm bell that in case timely action was not taken, Punjab was on the cusp of turning into a desert.Hooda contended that tubewell connections in prohibited areas are being released at the cost of larger public interest for political gains. It was further brought to the notice of the court that the Punjab government was permitting indiscriminate drawing of water for agricultural pursuit with free electricity even in the areas notified by the water board where extraction of water is permissible only for drinking. The board is nodal authority constituted under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, on the direction of the Supreme Court in case of MC Mehta versus Union Of India.The groundwater is in a state of continuous and consistent decline in Punjab where extraction is over 170%. Similarly, it contributes and provides for 71% of the water consumed/required by the agricultural sector throughout the state. With the advent and success of Green Revolution in the mid-1960s, the need and demand for ground water increased manifold.Water level during May 2013 compared to last 10 years has declined about 73% in the monitored ‘observation well’ that covers almost 82% of Punjab.The apex court was told that a report prepared by the irrigation department of Punjab and the CGWB on March 31, 2009, pointed out that of the 138 blocks investigated 110 were classified as “over exploited”.“The Tribunal has gravely erred in dismissing the prayers relating to setting aside of the policy of supply of free electricity by the state government, on the ground that the tribunal has no jurisdiction to deal with government policy. The reasoning is misplaced and erroneous since on multiple occasions in the past, it has passed directions on matters relating to fundamental rights where public health at large was threatened,” the petition said.