Hit by worst drought in 40 years and fast depleting ground water, Karnataka has made permission mandatory to dig wells/borewells in Bangalore and 11 other districts.
The directive applies to Bangalore east, north and southern areas and 32 taluks (revenue subdivisions) spread over the 11 districts, an official statement said here Monday.
The statement said owners of wells and borewells in these areas will also have to register them with the authorities or face electricity supply disconnection.
It said underground water in these areas has been over-exploited. Of the 11 districts, four are in north Karnataka and the rest in the southern part.
In Bangalore, the city authorities have set March 31 as deadline for registration of all borewells in the capital.
The order comes in the wake of scores of borewells being dug in Bangalore to meet the growing demand for water from the ever increasing population after the city became an IT hub.
In many parts of Bangalore, ground water is not available even at the depth of 1,000 ft.
The number of borewells in the city, with a population of nearly nine million, is estimated to be between 150,000 and 200,000.
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