<p>Bengaluru: Unable to control the illegal borewell menace, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is considering proposing amendments to the Karnataka Ground Water (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Act, 2011. </p>.<p>As per the Act, illegal drilling of borewells is treated as a non-cognisable offence. BWSSB officials say making it a cognisable offence would help prevent illegal borewells. </p>.<p>"Since it's a non-cognisable offence now, even when we approach the police, they do not take action and we are told to approach the magistrate. This is making it difficult to prevent illegal borewells,” said Dr Ramprasat Manohar V, Chairman, BWSSB. </p>.<p>Though the law allows to penalise the offenders, enforcement has been difficult since the BWSSB does not have much power as Karnataka Groundwater Authority (KGWA) is the body which has the power and BWSSB has only been delegated powers by the KGWA, yet another BWSSB official noted. </p>.Brand Bengaluru’s beautification drive sparks sustainability debate.<p>"KGWA does not always respond to our queries. Sometimes, when we get a complaint, we reach out to them but they also do not act immediately. Manpower is a problem there,” a senior BWSSB official revealed. </p>.<p>However, Manohar said that it was mostly a joint effort. </p>.<p>“Now, we work on powers delegated by the KGWA. It's mostly a collaborative effort,” Manohar said. </p>.<p>With the amendments, BWSSB is also hoping it would get more powers to act independently. </p>.<p>At present, though BWSSB has imposed a ban on drilling borewells to prevent the over-exploitation of groundwater, many construction sites and commercial buildings go ahead with borewell drilling without any permission. </p>.<p>While a handful of such borewell drilling activities are being stopped, many others go unnoticed, said Sandeep Anirudhan, an activist who is keeping a close watch on illegal borewells being drilled in and around Whitefield. </p>.<p>“There is absolutely no accountability or transparency. If we also BWSSB how a particular borewell drilling was allowed, it points to KGWA and KGWA in turn points to BWSSB. In a few cases where residents have taken initiative, borewell drilling has stopped but several others are going on without any check,” he said. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Unable to control the illegal borewell menace, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is considering proposing amendments to the Karnataka Ground Water (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Act, 2011. </p>.<p>As per the Act, illegal drilling of borewells is treated as a non-cognisable offence. BWSSB officials say making it a cognisable offence would help prevent illegal borewells. </p>.<p>"Since it's a non-cognisable offence now, even when we approach the police, they do not take action and we are told to approach the magistrate. This is making it difficult to prevent illegal borewells,” said Dr Ramprasat Manohar V, Chairman, BWSSB. </p>.<p>Though the law allows to penalise the offenders, enforcement has been difficult since the BWSSB does not have much power as Karnataka Groundwater Authority (KGWA) is the body which has the power and BWSSB has only been delegated powers by the KGWA, yet another BWSSB official noted. </p>.Brand Bengaluru’s beautification drive sparks sustainability debate.<p>"KGWA does not always respond to our queries. Sometimes, when we get a complaint, we reach out to them but they also do not act immediately. Manpower is a problem there,” a senior BWSSB official revealed. </p>.<p>However, Manohar said that it was mostly a joint effort. </p>.<p>“Now, we work on powers delegated by the KGWA. It's mostly a collaborative effort,” Manohar said. </p>.<p>With the amendments, BWSSB is also hoping it would get more powers to act independently. </p>.<p>At present, though BWSSB has imposed a ban on drilling borewells to prevent the over-exploitation of groundwater, many construction sites and commercial buildings go ahead with borewell drilling without any permission. </p>.<p>While a handful of such borewell drilling activities are being stopped, many others go unnoticed, said Sandeep Anirudhan, an activist who is keeping a close watch on illegal borewells being drilled in and around Whitefield. </p>.<p>“There is absolutely no accountability or transparency. If we also BWSSB how a particular borewell drilling was allowed, it points to KGWA and KGWA in turn points to BWSSB. In a few cases where residents have taken initiative, borewell drilling has stopped but several others are going on without any check,” he said. </p>