Gearing up to address possible water scarcity in the coming summer, the government will take over private open wells and borewells having perennial water source in Dakshina Kannada in January, according to Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha.
The urban local bodies (ULBs) and gram panchayats would have to identify such wells.
The step would be as a precaution to lift water from such sources for supplying for drinking purposes in case the wells of the government dried up, he said.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the ULBs and gram panchayats would also have to prepare a list of owners having water supply tankers and institutions having water supply tankers.
It is for using those tankers for water supply in emergency situations.
“A contingency plan will have to be ready to face any crisis,” he said and added that officials have been issued instructions to this effect.
Mr. Jagadeesha said that the State Cabinet has taken a decision that no borewell, except for government drinking water projects and under any government schemes, should be drilled in the State in this summer. The Deputy Commissioner said that he felt that even government departments too should avoid drilling borewells for supplying drinking water. They could opt for it only if it was absolutely necessary. “Officials have been instructed to keep it as a last resort,” he said.
Drilling borewells would further deplete the ground water, the Deputy Commissioner said.
Tahsildars and executive officers of taluk panchayats would have to get a team ready to book cases against those who drilled borewells.
The Deputy Commissioner said that with zero inflow in the Netravathi if water in the new Thumbe vented dam was stored up to five meres, the storage would last 45 days.
Water stored at the AMR Hydel Power Project’s dam at Shamboor on the upstream of the Thumbe dam would suffice for 58 days, he said.
Mr. Jagadeesha said that all should make judicious use of water without wasting to face the water crisis in the coming days.
