In the concerted quest for groundwater this summer, people seem to be relying on both cutting-edge technology and the ancient practice of divining.
Over a month ago, the State government decided to use ISRO’s satellite images to locate borewells at four taluks in three districts of north Karnataka — Indi in Vijayapura; Afzalpur and Aland in Kalaburagi; and Kundagol in Dharwad.
And it worked. Now, Tadavalaga and Aland have become tanker-free, thanks to borewells sunk in the spots located by satellite images. Both taluks have been dependent on water supply through tankers since November. However, in several other spots in the State, the hot quest seems to be for trustworthy water diviners. Ironically, they are in huge demand even in the country’s IT capital.
A gated community on Kanakapura Main Road wanted to sink a standby borewell, and they took the help of Bora Linga, a diviner, who claims to have powers to detect groundwater with the throbbing of his veins. He walked around the 12-acre campus and identified a spot, and when the borewell was dug, there was water, said a resident.
There are nearly two dozen active water diviners in Karnataka. Their fees range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,000 for every successful find. Scientists though question the practice of divining and argue that it is not based on concrete evidence. “Science does not believe in divining. There is no meaning attached to this coinage, ‘water diviners’,” said hydro-geologist K.C. Subhash Chandra. But the practice is favoured by several residents who argue that it’s cheaper and less time-consuming than more scientifically proven methods.
