Rampant borewell drilling riles locals in Mahadevapura

Alarmed by the rampant drilling of borewells, residents of Mahadevapura want the civic authorities to close them to prevent the drastic depletion of groundwater.

Concern has been especially high since the zone has limited supply of Cauvery water.

Residents said nearly 15 borewells were drilled in a month on a two-acre area on Goshala Road in Garudachar Palya, which was once an extension of the Yeklgata Lake.

“The place has lots of buildings, but contractors drill borewells in vacant areas. I’ve seen several borewell trucks in the past 30 days. The noise pollution is unbearable,” said Rakesh Kumar, a resident.

He said contractors would temporarily stop the activities every time the residents complained to the authorities. “We’ve brought the issue to the notice of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP),” Kumar added.

With more high-rises and businesses mushrooming in the area, residents also fear that the lake may disappear over time. “I commute to the Bagmane Tech Park, which is close to the lake, and see the (drilling) activities daily. Civic authorities should stop the plundering of natural resources,” said another resident.

B N Nithish Purushotham, corporator for Garudachar Palya, said he was unaware of the issue and urged residents to share pictures of the drilling activities to enable him to take action. “I’ll talk to the BBMP engineer concerned and ask the officials to take legal action against the miscreants,” Purushotham said.