It was residents of Whitefield who took up cudgels against rampant digging of illegal borewells in the area, which forced the State government to form a special team to check the menace in the city. The Karnataka Ground Water Authority (KGWA) has already begun a survey of borewells in Whitefield and the modalities of this survey have drawn ire of local residents.
The KGWA, during the survey, has allegedly categorised borewells dug by paying guest (PG) accommodations as “domestic” and don’t need to take permission from them. However, PG accommodations need to avail permits from the civic body and are considered a commercial activity.
In Whitefield, the PGs which are mushrooming at a fast pace are busy drilling borewells to cater to the water needs of the residents. On the other hand, the BBMP has started taking action against illegal PGs which are coming up without obtaining a licence from the civic body.
Activist Sandeep Anirudhan, who spearheaded the campaign against illegal borewells, said they were surprised to see KGWA terming PGs “domestic”. “It’s sad that officials of the regulatory body themselves have no clarity on the rules,” he said.
Minor Irrigation Minister N.S. Bose Raju speaking to The Hindu confirmed that PG buildings were “commercial” and he will take suitable action against illegal borewells dug by them.
Meanwhile, the special team is also expected to survey other illegal borewells, several of them coming up on empty sites, mostly for commercial exploitation by water tanker businesses and take action against them. Drought this year has led to many borewells going dry, even as demand for tanker water has shot up, prompting them to go on a borewell digging spree, mostly without availing permission.
