Rise in fuel price affects sinking borewells

The continuous rise in the price of diesel and increase in the price of spare parts of rig have affected the borewell rig operators.

The price hike of diesel will be an additional burden on people sinking borewells to meet the water scarcity.

District Borewell Rig Operators' Association President Purushotham said the cost to sink borewell is all set to increase.

For the last three days, the borewell sinking operation has been suspended to bring the issue to the notice of the government.

Addressing the labourers at Kuloor, he said the rig industry is in crisis. Rivising the rigging cost has become inveitable, he said.

“We have been working towards drinking water and irrigation projects. In spite of continous increase in the diesel price, the rigging cost was not revised. We have borrowed huge loan from banks to purchase rigging machines. The maintenance of rig too has become expensive. One rig machine will have 20 to 30 labourers to work. The operators use diesel not only to drive their trucks to different parts of the country, but also for operating the rig,” he said.

He said that a majority of the labourers are from Bihar and Assam. The daily wages too have been hiked. Unfortunately, the government has been engaged in sinking borewells at the minimum rate. “If we fail to rise the rigging cost, a situation might wherein we may not be able to sink borewells,” he cautioned.

He appealed to the public and farmers to cooperate. “We already pay GST while purchasing the rig. As we engage in water supply to support agriculture activities, the government should bring rigging industry out of the purview of GST.”