South First reported about the problems faced by the villagers, revealing that illegal borewells have been depleting water to quench the thirst of Bengaluru city since 2020. Shortly after the story was published, a team of government officials assessed the deteriorating situation and took action.
Published Sep 26, 2024 | 8:00 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 10, 2024 | 9:17 PM
South First impact: Brakes on illegal borewells exploiting ground water in Bengaluru Rural’s Harohalli
For the last few years, the residents of Harohalli have been struggling with near-zero water because of rampant illegal borewells and the water tanker business that takes away their water to quench Bengaluru city’s thirst.
South First visited the village in Bengaluru Rural district and reported on the plight of its residents. Our ground report exposed the nexus between illegal borewell owners and water tankers exploiting Harohalli’s groundwater, rendering it parched since 2020. Shortly after the report was published, a team of government officials assessed the deteriorating situation and took action.
The water tanker business has been shut for the foreseeable future pending a legal regulation.
Former gram panchayat member Babu Reddy spoke to South First about the government’s swift action.
He said that a few days after the report was published, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) set up a committee of five people that included the geology department assistant director, Tahsildar, Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), Executive Officer (EO) and Circle Inspector.
“They disconnected the connections to all the illegal borewells. That very day, the whole village was happy because we had water for everyone,” said Reddy.
However, on Thursday, 26 September, the villagers numbering more than 500 gathered at the Muthsandra Gram Panchayat office for a show of strength. Their show of strength came after learning that the water tanker association had approached Mahadevapura MLA seeking to restart their thriving business.
When South First contacted Hosakote MLA Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, he said: “All activities are stopped for the moment and we are working out a sustainable model.”
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Rural District DC Dr Shivashankara N spoke to South First about the latest developments.
He said that the rampant violations and the groundwater depletion were brought to his notice.
“The villagers said that they were not getting the required water for farming purposes and that water was being drawn recklessly for drinking or construction purposes of Bengaluru city,” he said.
“When I inquired, I found that no permission was obtained to draw water for commercial purposes. As an immediate measure to safeguard the interests of the local public, we have decided to stop this,” he added.
Dr Shivashankara explained that the Ground Water Authority at the district level is headed by the District Commissioner (DC). Permission is usually granted to drill borewells for drinking and farming purposes. He added that, at times, permission is also given to draw water for commercial purposes in hospitals, hotels, and even apartments.
“In that area, we granted permission to draw water only for drinking and farming purposes. However, it was completely exploited, and they were selling water for construction and to apartment complexes in Bengaluru. The village faced many problems as a result. Since the district administration can’t turn a blind eye to this, we have taken measures to stop it. We will consider how to regulate it going forward,” he said.
He added that the need of the hour is the proper regulation of borewell water sales as there is currently no policy in place for this.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
