BENGALURU: Despite the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (BWSS B) intervention to stop unauthorised borewell drilling at Sai Serenity Layout near KR Puram, the owners have allegedly continued their activity. BWSS B officials said they have filed a complaint, but police said they have not received any complaint in this regard. At Godavari-Ganga Road in the layout, a borewell was being drilled on a 60x40 site and BWSSB had asked the owner, Gopal Reddy, and the site supervisor to halt work, and written to the Avalahalli police, seeking action. However, a delay in action resulted in continued drilling of the borewell.
“Our officials wrote to Avalahalli police on Monday about unauthorised borewell drilling. The police officials said they don’t know the address and location, so I sent a copy to the tapal section again on Tuesday,” said Lokesh, Assistant Executive Engineer, BWSSB. Avalahalli police officials said since the BWSS B official had not filed a complaint, they cannot do much. Similarly, a complaint was filed at HAL police station on Tuesday, after some people were found drilling a borewell without permission at Talacauvery Layout in HAL ward.
BWSSB AEE Mohammed Mudassir filed a complaint as the owners did not stop drilling the unauthorized borewell, despite warnings and asking them to apply for permission. Lashing out at the officials for a delay in action, convener of Citizens’ Agenda for Bengaluru and Coalition for Water Security, Sandeep Anirudhan said, “It looks like officials are delaying deliberately.
If a case of unauthorised borewell drilling is found, the Karnataka Ground Water Authority can seize the vehicle, arrest those responsible and impose a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. But they are simply passing the buck to BWSSB.”