The curse of summer

While the water-table hits an all time low, indiscriminate digging of borewells continues in the Secunderabad Cantonment. The summer is almost upon us and the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has already approved 15 borewells this year; from about 40 applications.

• There are 800 borewells in Secunderabad Cantonment, majority of that have dried up
• Last year, around 30 consumers were penalised for illegally digging borewells

Senior officials at the SCB inform that they are forced to give permissions due to political pressure, but have been stringent at the same time. In many areas in the cantonment water levels have dipped by more than five to eight metres. The worst affected are East and West Marredpally.

Raj Kumar, superintendent, Water Works, SCB says, “If it is an open, plot we give the permission for a borewell immediately, but in several cases consumers whose borewell dried up come for a second borewell. In majority of cases, consumers go for a borewell in front of the gate, which is public property.”

There are several cases of violations where people dig borewells without taking permission. The SCB penalised close to 30 consumers in the last year by imposing a penalty of Rs 18,000 each.

When a consumer is penalised, the borewell contractor too suffers huge losses as the equipment and the vehicle is seized by the SCB. Arvind Kumar Maru, a contractor, says, “We are wary of taking up works in the Secunderabad Cantonment as many consumers go in for borewells without taking proper permission.”

The groundwater levels in the Cantonment has depleted several notches. In spite of people going down about 500-600 ft there is no water. Last year, 80 permissions for borewells were given by the SCB. There are 800 borewells in the cantonment out of which a large number have dried up.

Five borewells for each ward In a board meeting held recently, it was decided that each of the eight wards will get five borewells in the coming months to cater to the needs of the people.

Apart from sanctioning the borewells, the board members also approved the decision to include additional water tankers in summer. Presently, upto 16 water tankers make 18-20 trips a day.

S Kesava Reddy, vice president, SCB says, “The present free supply of water tankers is insufficient especially in the slums and there is a need to look for additional tankers.”