PANAJI
The Goa government has conceded to rampant illegal drilling of borewells across Goa with at least 40 such borewells sealed, while several others are issued show cause notices or are pending action or under scrutiny.
Replying to an unstarred question tabled by Congress MLA Altone D’Costa, Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar admitted to the scale of the problem. “Yes, the government is aware of rampant illegal borewell drilling in the State. Surveys, inspections and raids have been conducted to identify and seal such borewells,” the minister said.
According to official records, about 40 borewells have been sealed including those on the coastal belt and in tourist hotspots like Morjim and Ashwem. The highest number - 10 borewells - have been sealed in Morjim, belonging to a single private agency. In Calangute alone, 16 private owners had their illegal borewells sealed followed by six in Candolim.
Details tabled in the House further revealed that as many as 51 show-cause notices have been issued in Chimbel, while 15-16 notices are in the process of being issued to other owners of the illegal borewells. About 20 borewells have been regularised. Judicial action has also been initiated in some cases, and penalties have been imposed or are in process in several other instances.
Shirodkar also informed the House that the groundwater extraction in the state remains within safe limits. “The Ground Water Resource Assessment is done jointly by the Water Resources Department and the Central Ground Water Board,” he said.
On the regulatory front, the government confirmed that borewells are permitted, but only after due registration.
