Despite the BBMP Commissioner’s recent warning that the civic body will initiate action against illegal digging of borewells for commercial purposes, the practice continues unabated. There are several instances of residents complaining about borewells cropping up in their neighbourhoods.
In Begur ward, for instance, an unused plot was cleared of vegetation and a borewell was dug, said a resident. “A huge piece of land behind our apartment was constantly lit on fire and the vegetation there cleared out a couple of months ago,” said Manyu Angarish, a resident. “Soon after, a pump was set up in the middle of the field. For the past two months, water tankers come and fill water from there non-stop. There are tankers filling up water even at night.”
Others have complained of borewells being dug indiscriminately, sometimes even in the middle of the road.
However, a survey of the number of illegal tankers and borewells has not been initiated by the BBMP. Engineers from two wards said that they had not started the survey as there had been no order issued.
Chief Engineer of west zone Govindraj said that an order has not been issued to conduct a survey to identify the number of tankers being run illegally.
“We are collecting information and then will implement the order,” said Chief Engineer of East zone B.S. Prasad.
BBMP Commissioner Manjunath N. Prasad, however, said that officials need not conduct a survey to take action against complaints. “If they receive complaints, they can act upon it and fine the responsible party immediately,” said the Commissioner.
A notice issued by the Commissioner on April 18 to all zonal engineers said that the number of tankers extracting water from public borewells should be reported. Engineers have to inspect and identify borewells, which were in disuse or where the motor needed repair. It also states that criminal action will be initiated against anyone digging a borewell without permission.
But the action being taken in some parts of the city is being carried out on a piecemeal basis.
Deputy Health Officer of Mahadevapura zone Kalpana said that notice had been issued to persons operating seven tankers in Bellandur ward. “I have written to the BWSSB to take up water samples and see if it is of potable quality,” she said. She added that officials in some parts of Mahadevapura zone had issued fines and cancelled trade licences to run tankers.
