Karnataka - Bidar   

Groundwater exploitation hits borewells in Bidar

Crisis: File photos of a borewell at Hallikhed (K) in Humnabad taluk of Bidar district to which a submersible motor has now been fitted.

BIDAR: Over exploitation of groundwater and inadequate rainfall has rendered artesian borewells redundant in Bidar district.

An artesian borewell that has lost its natural flow at Hallikhed (K) in Humnabad taluk of the district has thrown light on the consequences of depleting water table.

The borewell, dug up about two decades ago, was a good source of water for residents of Hallikhed village. But the situation has changed with the increasing demand for water.

The borewell is located in a low-lying area between an elevated place and a small stream that passes through the village. Water used to ooze from the borewell like a spring, rising to a height of about two feet in 1980s.

Over the years, the villagers have dug several borewells both for irrigation and drinking water purposes. Depletion of water table owing to over dependency on groundwater has created low pressure and made it impossible for water to burst out of the artesian borewell.

Officials of the Department of Mines and Geology have now installed a submersible motor at the borewell to draw water to the village.

Senior Geologist of the department P. Mohammed Khan attributed the failure of artesian borewell at Hallikhed to over exploitation of ground water.

Depletion of water table at the village and disappearance of the natural spring was a case to emphasise that people should make sensible use of groundwater, he told The Hindu. He said that groundwater was depleting in most parts of the State and efforts should be made to recharge groundwater before it was too late.

The report on Dynamic Groundwater Resources-2004 said that 80 areas in the State were “over-exploited”, 10 were “critical” areas, 17 were “semi-critical” areas and 127 areas were considered “safe”.

D.N.N. Murthy, geologist, said that there were several borewells in Bidar district now. However, there were only a few of them about two decades ago.

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