The Telangana Ground Water Department has requested National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) to conduct a survey in Adilabad district and other Telangana districts and suggest places to drill borewells where water can be tapped. Now, the NGRI team is rushing to Latur in Maharashtra which is facing worst water crisis after three years of consecutive drought and normal life of people severely disrupted.
The request to the NGRI is to take up survey of Adilabad after completing its Latur visit. In Telangana, Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts are also reeling under water scarcity. .
The mission is to discourage random and indiscriminate drilling when water table has been rapidly fallings, say NGRI scientists.
It was few days ago, an NGO from Maharashtra, Empathy Foundation, which planned to drill 100 bore wells in Latur, sought the help of NGRI and its guidance to locate potential ground water sources.
A brain storming session was held in the NGRI here on Saturday prior to deputing the teams for Latur. NGRI Chief Scientist Shakeel Ahmed called for a meeting on ground water exploration in thrust areas with ground water scientists of NGRI, water professionals from Central Ground Water Board, National Remote Sensing Centre and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Groundwater Departments here on Saturday.
“We wanted to collect and integrate geological and remote sensing maps and data on past and prevailing hydrological information from the participants to prepare our action plan in Latur, “ said Dr.Shakeel Ahmed.
“It’s a crisis situation in Latur after three years of consecutive drought. We want to leave on Monday. At least three teams comprising geophysicists and others will go. Scientists form Central Ground Water Department from Nagpur will join ,” he said. The teams with the help of equipment to sense sub-surface up to 300 meters to 400 meters will gather information for ideal location to drill.
The NGRI teams will identify the locations and the local administration takes a call on where to drill. The borewells are strictly to meet basic requirements of people in the crisis situation and not to be exploited for irrigation purpose. The local administration has to ensure it, Dr.Ahmed said.
The NGRI scientist said government should ban private drilling by contractors and allow only authorised drilling as per the norms of WALTA (Water, Land and Trees) Act for judicious exploration and use of depleting ground water. The professional and scientific way of drilling is needed to collect samples at different depths and get valuable sub-surface information.
It’s time to ban private drillers, and enforce WALTA (Water, Land and Trees) Act
Dr. Shakeel Ahmed,
NGRI Chief Scientist.
