The government’s efforts to regulate the exploitation of groundwater seem to have yielded only partial results as extraction of untreated water from available sources and its distribution through private tankers continue in the district. However, drilling of borewells, even for domestic consumption, has reportedly come down in most places.
K.M. Abdul Ashraf, district officer, Groundwater Department, said on Thursday, “It is illegal to extract and transport untreated groundwater. But, the practice continues because of water shortage and the inability of the authorities to address the demand from residents.”
The government brought in restrictions on the drilling of borewells in view of the drought situation in the State this year. Drilling is permitted only for domestic purposes and the depth of the well should not exceed 80 metres. In Kozhikode district, the groundwater table has declined by over a metre compared with the previous year in many places because of deficient monsoon.
Another area of concern is the unscientific use of groundwater. “There are two kinds of areas from where you can extract water – recharge area and discharge area. If you extract water from discharge area, it may lead to decline in water level and we have noticed several such cases in the district,” he said.
Asked if the department was not empowered to check this practice, Mr. Ashraf said those who transport untreated water claim that they were using it for charity and household use and get away with it.
He said the number of applications seeking permission to drill borewells had gone up in the wake of the government restrictions. “But there is no increase in the number of borewells being drilled. Earlier, no one used to take permission for it. Now, because of the regulation, people are seeking permission from the local grama panchayat.”
Demand in rural areas
K.K. Vasanthakumar, general secretary of the All Kerala Borewell Drilling Contractors’ Association, however, claimed that the drilling of borewells had come down in the Malabar region though there was demand from the rural areas.
“In Wayanad, no new borewells are being drilled. In Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur, there is still some work. It seems people are waiting for the May 31 deadline to pass. Also, in many places, water is not available even after the permissible depth and we had to stop the work,” he said.
In areas such as Thamarassery, Balussery, and Perambra, the water level had plummeted and the quality too was bad, Mr. Vasanthakumar said.
