Illegal borewells on Muthanalluru lakebed wind up

The 10-odd illegal borewells that were dug on the Muthanalluru lakebed for commercial purposes have been shut down by the officials.

Unauthorised water traders drilled borewells in the buffer zone of the lake. “None of the borewells were authorised by the concerned authorities. Nor they were used for agricultural purposes. The water drawn from the borewells was sold as a commodity,” said Major Santhosh Kumar.

“The authorities took action immediately after it was brought to their notice. I had written to the tahsildar and panchayat officials. Finally, the borewells were closed,” he added. Under the Karnataka Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Act, 2011, every borewell in the city should be registered.

The notification said violators would be fined Rs 10,000 or sent to three years in prison.