Whitefield residents flag illegal borewell drilling despite BWSSB intervention

Bengaluru: Residents of Whitefield have raised an alarm over the growing menace of illegal borewells in the locality.

Two illegal borewell drillings continue to take place within Whitefield’s White Rose Layout, despite intervention by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the police, residents told DH.

According to a senior BWSSB official, the drilling began on January 30. “Once we learnt about the drilling, we notified both parties to stop immediately as they did not have the required permits. When they failed to heed the warning and resumed work after a few hours, we filed a complaint with the police. Now it is up to the police to handle the matter,” he told DH.

However, due to the absence of an FIR, the police are unable to take the case forward, said Sandeep Anirudhan, convenor of Namma Whitefield, a resident welfare group.

“The BWSSB has only filed a petition, and the police say they cannot act based on a petition. An FIR is required, which the BWSSB isn’t filing,” he said.

The two borewells are being dug for construction purposes, he told DH. “It is completely illegal. What builders do is drill borewells to access the little water that remains and use it for construction. This has become quite common for commercial buildings such as PGs, which populate the area,” he added.

However, the BWSSB denies these allegations, claiming that a thorough process is followed to curb the menace of illegal borewells. While Cauvery water has reached the locality, the supply remains infrequent. As per residents, they receive Cauvery water once every four days. In addition, the BWSSB has deployed 29 water tankers for the neighbourhood.