Editor,
Of late there has been much discussion about whether tube wells or bore well drilling of drinking water is hazardous to the environment or is it a necessity. From the lay man’s point of view there may be varied opinions if such drilling can be regulated especially in a state like Meghalaya where land ownership is mostly private and the geographical/ topographical conditions are different. However if ground water sustainability is destroyed by rampant drilling by individuals it will not be safe for the environment. The Central Ground Water Authority’s criteria for groundwater extraction itself says that NOC for groundwater extraction for individual households can be given only to those areas where public drinking water supply is not at all available and such areas are to be certified by the water supply agency which in the case of Meghalaya its either the PHE or the Municipality. The district administration is the authority to grant such NOCs. Now the concern arises when we see rampant bore well drilling allowed in our State especially in East Khasi Hills District and Shillong in particular where permission for drilling is given without much thought.
It is learnt that certain Dorbar Shnong had already banned drilling within their respective Dorbar citing their concern over groundwater depletion and environment hazard which left certain speculations as to whether they are doing it right. Indeed the steps taken by the shnong must be applauded since scientifically explained facts say that draining out the aquifers may lead to many ecological disasters later on. According to US Geological Survey study on groundwater depletion there is more of an interaction between the water in lakes and rivers and groundwater than most people think. Often a great deal of the water flowing in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into the streambed. Groundwater contributes to streams in most physiographic and climatic settings. The proportion of stream water that comes from groundwater inflow varies according to a region’s geography, geology, and climate. Groundwater pumping can alter how water moves between an aquifer and a stream, lake, or wetland by either intercepting groundwater flow that discharges into the surface-water body under natural conditions, or by increasing the rate of water movement from the surface-water body into an aquifer. A related effect of groundwater pumping is the lowering of groundwater levels below the depth that streamside or wetland vegetation needs to survive. The overall effect is a loss of riparian vegetation and wildlife habitat’.
That is why the central ground water policy itself states that when there will be a proper public water distribution in place the permitted tube well/ bore well or abstraction structure should exclusively be utilized for artificial recharge to ground water or for that matter be sealed off from further abstraction.
However in our state such policies are being condoned, whereas policies or guidelines that look at long term water sustainability and conservation of groundwater reservoirs are no given due importance. The District Councils who are the first custodians of land, water bodies, forests etc. are yet to come out with policies to protect the environment’s sustainability. The clean Wah-Umkhrah project can be an eye opener. It started off with much hype and discontinued abruptly.
The question is? will the state government/ district administration or for that matter the district councils take keen note on such rampant tube well/ bore well drilling and take concrete steps to adhere to the policies laid down by the central government’s Central Ground Water Authority to stringently act upon those tube well/ bore well that are operating even in the areas where public water distribution is in place and effectively functioning. Failing this the supply system that we have now will soon be depleted and we will suffer from acute water scarcity.
Yours etc.,
Wankitbok Pohshna
Shillong -11