By Lamphrang Nongspung
The overuse of ground water resources in various parts of the State especially in Shillong city is posing a huge threat to the availability of fresh water in this part of the country. Many rich individuals on their own are drilling deep tubes in their residential premises without bothering to take necessary permission from the concerned Government departments.
Drilling of deep tube wells by private individuals in their own premises is prevalent in almost all the localities of the city.
In fact, the unplanned and non-scientific development of ground water resources, mostly driven by individual initiatives has led to an increasing stress on the available water resources.
The adverse impacts can be observed in the form of long-term decline of ground water levels and increased energy consumption for lifting water from progressively deeper levels.
It is also believed that the various drinking water project of the PHE where water is being pumped by drilling a deep tube well is also contributing towards decline in availability of the underground water.
A senior Government official informed that a central team from Hyderabad are presently carrying out a survey in Shillong to decide whether to identify the city as ‘notify area’ to disallow the drilling of deep tube well as part to protect the underground water resources.
“After this survey, the central team would be submitting a report to the Union Government. If Shillong is identified as a ‘notify area’ then we would disallow drilling of deep tube wells,” the official said.
He said that a committee would be formed after Shillong has been declared as a ‘notify area’ where the scientist of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and officials of the PHE and Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) would be inducted as members.
“Since Shillong is yet to be identified as “notify area”, the State Government cannot put any restriction for the drilling of deep tube well by the local population,” the official added.
As of now, the district administration only gives permission for drilling of deep tube well to the industries, he said while adding that since hotels is considered as industries we are giving permission as per the laid down provisions to take up drilling of deep tube well.
“But these hotels have to set a water harvesting structure. There are also not allowed to use the water which being drilled for washing clothes and vehicles,” the official said.
He further suggested that the State Government would need to bring a law to regulate the use of underground water.
Earlier, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma had also expressed concern on the overuse of ground water resources.
He had observed that steps needed to be initiated for recharging of the underground water while adding that the State flagship programme – Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programme has specifically been targeted for recharging of the water bodies and resources.
The Chief Minister had also pointed out that deep tube well water project in the State have to be done away with since this is only one of the factors which is contributing to the degradation of the ground water resources.
“We need to find other alternative to replace the deep tube well water project,” Dr Mukul had said.
When asked about the drilling deep tube well by private individual, the Chief Minister had said that the Government would have to look if there are provisions in the law to ban the drilling of the water bodies in the State.
However, environmental experts suggest that in order to address various issues related to ground water, keeping in view the climatic change, there is a need to prepare a comprehensive road map with identified strategies for scientific and sustainable management of the available ground water resources in the State so as to avert a looming water crisis. In addition to addressing the issues of declining water level, environmental experts also emphasised that the strategies which the Government needs to adopt should also focus on the imbalances in ground water development in the country, reasons thereof and suggesting measures including accelerated development of ground water in areas with low stage of ground water development.