BENGALURU: Amidst the water crisis in the city, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) stayed the drilling of 20 illegal borewells and has directed engineers to take action. In a order passed recently, the BWSSB stated that those who drill borewells should obtain permission from the board and also install two percolation pits, else they would be dealt sternly. However, despite strict instructions, residents have been found violating the order.
In one case, a local Congress leader, Manoj Kumar, allegedly drilled a borewell on a lake bed at Vibhuthipura in Talacauvery Layout, which was later posted on X. BWSSB Assistant Executive Engineer Syed Mudassir arrived at the spot and stalled the works before approaching the HAL police. “I filed a petition at the HAL police station regarding the incident, after which the borewell vehicle staff and owner arrived at the station to explain their act,” Mudassir added.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Manoj Kumar, who is in the water tanker business, claimed that he was not drilling the borewell but was redrilling when the old borewell dried up. “I am not guilty and have not done anything wrong. I was only redrilling old borewell,” said Kumar. Following the rampant illegal borewell drilling for commercial purposes, the BWSSB asked its engineers to intensify patrolling.