Ongole: Survey on abandoned bore wells, tube wells soon

Ongole: Following the guidelines by the Supreme Court, the Andhra Pradesh government is going to conduct a ground-level survey once again to identify the abandoned bore wells and tube wells, and fill the open bore wells if any, with rock and soil to prevent fatal accidents with small children falling into them.

The court ordered for the action taken report from the State governments from time to time. Recently, the authorities of the Ground Water and Water Audit Department in the State ordered the district officials to conduct the survey of the number of bore wells and tube wells drilled in each village or town, their usage status, number of abandoned wells, number of abandoned wells properly filled up to the ground, balance number of abandoned wells to be filled up to the ground and their action plan.

The deputy director of the Ground Water and Water Audit department at Ongole, B Nagaraju said that they have received instructions from the higher authorities to conduct the survey on the bore wells and tube wells.

He said that the farmers who drill bore wells for the water for the agriculture in the district, should be very careful and they should not abandon them if there is water. He said that if any bore well went dry, the farmer can use it as a recharge bore well to another bore well and advised to not remove the casing of the well and cover it with tight cap, following the supreme court guidelines.

They will recognise the unfilled abandoned bore wells and see them filled with clay, boulders up to the ground level to prevent accidents involving children falling into them. He said that they have submitted the necessary file to the Collector's office and will start the survey at the ground level with other departments, as soon as they receive the necessary orders.