Mangaluru: The groundwater table in Dakshina Kannada is falling alarmingly both due to poor rainfall and the unscientific sinking of borewells to meet the growing shortage of water in the district.
In fact the table has fallen dangerously low in three taluks in the foothills of the Western Ghats. Leading them is Puttur taluk where 96 per cent of the groundwater has been used up, followed by Belthangady taluk, where 68 per cent of the ground water has been removed. Bantwal is only slightly better with 66 per cent of the groundwater used.
Eco activists warn that sinking of more borewells will only further lower the groundwater table in the region and leave it with an even worse water crisis in the future.
"Unscientific digging of borewells is a serious threat to the district. The authorities should order every landowner to inform them about the extent of his land and the number of borewells he has sunk as this will not only help in creating a database but also stop unnecessary digging of borewells," said NECF state general secretary, Shashidhar Shetty.
Former president of the Zilla Panchayat, Koragappa Naik told the ZP meeting on Wednesday that borewells were being sunk without permission all over the district.
" Despite the government emphasising that digging of borewells needs permission from the panchayat, most don't bother to apply for it. They come to the panchayat for an NOC only when they need power supply for pumping the water," he deplored.
