Karnataka to launch drive to secure unsafe open borewells

The Karnataka government will launch a State-wide campaign to identify and safely close unsafe open borewells, particularly those that have been abandoned or have failed to yield water, Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology Minister Ajay Dharam Singh said on Monday.

The ‘Borewell Suraksha Abhiyan’ will begin with the verification of failed and defunct borewells drilled under the Minor Irrigation Department. The Ground Water Development Directorate has been asked to prepare an action plan for their identification, verification, safe closure and monitoring.

“Not a single open borewell should be allowed to become a threat to a child’s life. In the first phase, we will verify all failed and defunct borewells drilled under the Minor Irrigation Department and ensure that every unsafe borewell is properly secured and closed,” Mr. Singh said.

Though regulations and monitoring mechanisms are in place following directions of the Supreme Court, the department has felt the need to identify borewells that may not have been included in official records or may have been drilled without adequate reporting.

The campaign will subsequently be extended to borewells under other government departments and local bodies, as well as unsafe open borewells in public places.

Dedicated helpline

The department is also examining a system through which members of the public can report unsafe borewells. A dedicated WhatsApp number and a web-based reporting facility are being considered, enabling citizens to share photographs and location details of suspected unsafe borewells.

The proposed system could also include geo-tagging and tracking of complaints from reporting and verification to closure.