CHANDIGARH: Taking up the matter pertaining to the ban on construction activities using underground water in Gurgaon, Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday clarified its orders that "construction on sites illegally using underground water were to be immediately stopped and construction activity could go on wherever the water source was registered.

It also turn down the plea of some developers and builders for allowing the digging of borewells for the construction staff and made it clear that water tankers could be called in for the purpose.

The orders were clarified by the bench headed by acting chief justice Jasbir Singh, after hearing some petitions filed by some developers and builders claiming misinterpretation of the HC orders by the Gurgaon administration.Builders argued that the Gurgaon deputy commissioner (DC) had stayed the construction activity at all the sites.

It was also added that some builders such as the DLF had their own arrangements, and had even set up sewage treatment plant. Still, the operations were closed down.

Meanwhile, the Gurgaon administration informed the bench that as many as 25 teams carried out inspections for checking misuse of water for raising buildings in Gurgaon and stopped constructions at 161 sites.

Now the case has been fixed for October 3 for further hearing.The matter had reached before the court through bunch of petitions filed by Qutub Enclave Residents Welfare Association and others alleging that the builders in Gurgaon were illegally extracting underground water and using it for construction purposes, because of which the level of underground water has gone down.

Haryana government, on the previous date of hearing, had undertaken to initiate effective steps against the violators. HC has already made it clear that the DC would be held responsible, if underground water was found to be utilized by the builders for any kind of construction.