The Times of India 31.08.2012
Despite fall in level, 15 more tube wells in city
LUDHIANA: Ludhiana and Khanna have been notified of the alarming fall in the groundwater table in their periphery by the Central Ground Water Authority of India.
But, this has not deterred the municipal corporation (MC) from
approving installation of tube wells and submersible pumps, as the
finance and contracts committee of the civic body itself gave a green
signal to installation of 15 submersible pumps in the city.Even Ludhiana deputy commissioner had recently ordered not to dig tube
wells for collective or individual use without seeking permission from
the MC, specifying that the domestic tube well motors cannot be of over
1hp capacity and only one tube well can be installed by a person.
If a
previously installed tube well is faulty, an undertaking of the faulty
tube well, mentioning it will be used as a recharge well to improve
groundwater level, will have to be submitted.The 15 tube wells
approved by the MC are mostly of 25hp capacity and only a few of these
are replacements of faulty ones, while most are new addition to the
existing tube wells in the city. The act seems irresponsible while there
have not been any efforts by the civic body to construct recharge
wells.Only two of MC's own offices, that of zone A and zone D,
have rain water harvesting systems.
This proves the seriousness of
civic body to implement laws for conserving water resources, which make
it mandatory for very building of over 250 square yards area to have a
rainwater harvesting system.Municipal commissioner R K Verma
said, ""We will work on a project concerned with bringing surface water
in the city, instead of working on ground water replenishing, as the
state government is very serious about this project"".
