Borewell safety campaign to make Karnataka open-borewell-free
CH NEWS BENGALURU The Department of Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development has decided to launch a statewide ‘Borewell Safety Campaign’ to identify and safely close failed, unused and open borewells posing a danger to children and livestock. Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology Minister Dr Ajay Dharam Singh directed the Directorate of Groundwater Development to prepare a comprehensive action plan covering the campaign’s framework, implementation, department-wise data collection and monitoring mechanisms. He said borewells that fail to yield water during drilling or are found unsuitable for use must be safely closed. Though safety measures and monitoring mechanisms have been provided in accordance with Supreme Court directions, the possibility of unrecorded or improperly closed borewells cannot be completely ruled out, he added. In the second phase, information on failed or open borewells under other government departments, local bodies and public areas will be collected. The concerned departments will coordinate to ensure their safe closure. The minister also directed officials to explore a WhatsApp number and web-based reporting system through which members of the public can report dangerous open borewells. Geo-tagged photographs and a tracking system covering the process from reporting to closure will also be considered. “Our objective is not merely to close borewells listed in departmental records. Dangerous open borewells that have not come to the government’s notice must also be identified and made safe. It is our government’s firm resolve to make Karnataka an ‘open-borewell-free state’,” he said. He directed Department Secretary Rajesh Amminabhavi and Groundwater Development Directorate officials to prepare the comprehensive action plan.
“Not a single open borewell should pose a threat to a child’s life. In the first phase, all failed and unused borewells drilled by the Minor Irrigation Department will be identified and checked to ascertain whether they have been safely closed. Wherever necessary, immediate steps will be taken to close them.” Dr Ajay Dharam, Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology Minister
BOREWELL SAFETY DRIVE • Campaign: Statewide Borewell Safety Campaign • Goal: Open-borewell-free Karnataka • Phase 1: Department-owned failed and unused borewells • Phase 2: Borewells under other departments, local bodies and public areas • Reporting: WhatsApp and web-based system proposed • Technology: Geo-tagged photographs and tracking mechanism
Borewell safety drive The Karnataka government plans a statewide campaign to identify and safely close failed, unused and open borewells. The first phase will cover borewells drilled by the Minor Irrigation Department, followed by those under other departments, local bodies and public areas. A public reporting mechanism through WhatsApp and a web platform, along with geo-tagged photographs and closure tracking, is also being considered to strengthen monitoring and safety measures.
