Groundwater over exploited in several mandals in Anantapur district

Anantapur: Hundreds of farmers are indulging in drilling of illegal bores violating the Water Land and Trees Act (WALTA). As per the WALTA, a distance of 250 metres should be maintained between two bores. But bores are being drilled indiscriminately.

Farmers are resorting to panic drilling of bores when the bore dug by them does not yield water. There are farmers who had drilled 5-10 bores in their agriculture fields unsuccessfully. Due to over-exploitation of groundwater, bores are failing. Most of the bores drilled lacked permission from Tahsildar and Ground Water Department.

Illegal bores are rampant in Garladinne mandal where horticulture plantations are abundant. Farmers do not maintain distance of 250 metres between bore wells. Vijay, a horticulture farmer and Venkata Indira another farmer of Kotanka village in Garladinne mandal have recently lodged complaints to the tahsildar complaining of two illegal bores which sprang up overnight. The drillers are making good amount of money by resorting to illegal drilling of bores.

Garladinne Tahsidar Madhav Reddy said to The Hans India that the mandal is a horticulture zone with fairly good water resources and many people have dug borewells without getting permission. `` We had been acting on specific complaints. Illegal bores have become a matter of concern as underground water is already over exploited,'' he said.

The district is mainly dependent on ground water for its irrigation and domestic needs. There are 52,937 wells, 33,964 bore wells and 561 deep tube wells in the district. Out of the total 65 mandals, 15 fall in over exploited areas. Rain water harvesting structures like contour bunding, check dams, percolation tanks and farm ponds are existing to protect ground water, he said.