Illegal borewell drilling resurfaces amid severe water crisis

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Just when it seemed like the authorities were getting a grip on the problem, illegal borewell drilling has made a comeback in Bengaluru.

Since March 15, the crackdown led by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has been keeping a lid on unauthorised drilling.

But now, allegations from all over the city suggest that this harmful activity is back in full swing.

People are finding ways to get permission for drilling, like pretending to be residential users when they are actually commercial builders.

It is a situation that means the authorities are either being tricked or paid off to give out these permits. In India, water management falls under the jurisdiction of individual states, with each state having its own set of regulations and policies.

Karnataka, home to Bengaluru, enforces regulations governing borewell digging and groundwater extraction to varying degrees.

However, unauthorised and unregulated borewell digging remains a pressing issue in Bengaluru, as in numerous other urban areas grappling with water scarcity.

This unchecked activity has contributed to the depletion of groundwater levels, which stands at 34.1 degrees Celsius.

The observation underscores the city’s struggle under heatwave-like conditions Bengaluru’s water scarcity problems are not new.

They are caused by a mix of factors such as unpredictable rains, rapid urbanisation and depleting water sources such as lakes owing to encroachment.

But illegal borewell drilling makes it all worse by sucking up even more precious groundwater.

In March, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was open to receiving constructive suggestions from the Opposition regarding the water crisis, as he expressed during a press meet.