As water crisis deepens in many States, particularly those having sizeable population, the Centre has asked them to purchase potable water from owners of private borewells to provide much-needed succour to the locals in the drought-affected regions.
The aim is to ensure equitable distribution of potable water among the affected people, said Central Water and Sanitation Secretary Parames-waram Iyer in a letter last week to Chief Secretaries of 13 States. These are Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
For smooth implementation of these activities, they have been allowed to use funds to the extent of 10 per cent from the National Rural Drinking Water Programe (NRWDP) fund.
Stating that there are a large number of private borewells where ground water yield is good, Iyer suggested, “these should be hired by the district collectors and water should be equitably distributed to the affected population.”
Incidentally, much before the Centre’s suggestion came, States like Telangana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have been already paying the private owners for supplying water to their nearby water-starved villages.
Telangana Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Special Chief Secretary SP Singh told The Pioneer, “We have been successfully using this system (hiring private borewells) for providing drinking water to the problematic villages. Some compensation amount is given to the owners. It’s of no use wasting money in digging new borewells because of water uncertainty. Presently, at least 65 per cent of the State is reeling under water crisis, he said.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Odisha Special Relief Commissioner PK Mahapatra said that all the 5 lakhs water borewells are Government owned. Many have dried up. Where ever there is water shortage, we are using tankers to meet the need. Out of 30 districts, 27 have been declared drought-hit.
He said, soon one tubewell each will be dig in all 27,711 partially covered habitations in the State at a cost of `195 crore.
A senior official from the Rajasthan Government said that for long they had been supplying water to the parched villages from the privately owned bore-wells, doling out compensation to the owners. Moreover, we have always contingency plan prepared in case of emergency.
In view of soaring mercury which is causing drought-like situation in the country, the Water and Sanitation Secretary held a video conference on Monday with 13 Chief Secretaries of the most effected States to review the situation.
A string of measures have been suggested including immediate repair and maintenance of all water supply systems, hand pumps and borewells.
“Due to fall in water table, more riser pipes may be used to increase the yield of the hand pumps. Sufficient number of riser pumps may be used to increase the availability of drinking water in the affected areas,” says the circular.
Also, it says, whereever water reservoirs/ponds are available, they may be used to increase the capacity of drinking water through piped water supply system while new borewells should be set up wherever aquifers is good.
Services of water tankers to transport water and supply to the affected population should also be taken, the letter added.