Tirupati, April 19: The operation and maintenance of borewells has become burdensome for the Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC). There are 740 borewells in the temple town, including 420 power and 320 hand bores to supplement the water requirement of the TMC, which supplies 12 mld from Kalyani Dam and 32 mld from Telugu Ganga Water Supply Scheme (TGWSS) to a population of three lakh.
The TMC is spending more than Rs 1 crore per annum on operation and maintenance of borewells. Of the total expenditure, power charges of the borewells account for Rs 80 lakh. The borewells consume about 1.5 lakh to 1.75 lakh units of power a month. The power tariff varies from Rs 4 to Rs 4.60 per unit. On an average, each borewell consumes power worth Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 a month.
Talking to `Express’, Municipal Commissioner P Mohan Reddy said the corporation was allowing drawing of water from borewells though it was burdensome as it could not withdraw any facility which the people are already enjoying.
But, the TMC has decided against sinking of new borewells, giving new power connections to borewells and laying of new pipelines to cap the expenditure on their operation and maintenance. The corporation is striving to supply water at the rate of 135 litres a day to each individual as per the national standard, he said.
A visit to various localities in the temple town revealed that borewell water was being indiscriminately exploited by people as it comes free of cost. In Khadi Colony, residents of an apartment were filling their sump with water drawn from a borewell. In some areas, residents were drawing the borewell water through pipes, which was forbidden. In some other areas, the borewells were serving the water needs of commercial establishments.
Some house owners were forcing their tenants to use borewell water only.
The frequent raids by the TMC officials to check the misuse of borewell water had proved futile. The TMC experiment of handing over the maintenance of borewells in some areas to residents associations to prevent indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater, had also failed.
A TMC official on condition of anonymity said borewells were in fact an alternative source of water supply.
But, residents are enjoying both the benefits causing a heavy financial burden on the TMC. The indiscriminate exploitation is also having an adverse effect on the groundwater table. In areas like Bairagipatteda and Kesavainigunta, groundwater dipped to the depth of 250 to 300 ft from 40 to 70 ft. It is time for the TMC to take stern measures to stop the misuse of borewell water, the official said.
–Agencies