Date:07/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/07/stories/2006030705260400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Law planned to protect, conserve groundwater

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Government is contemplating the adoption of a law to protect and conserve groundwater in the State. That could mean banning or limiting the number of borewells sunk in an area, apart from recharging groundwater.

Minor Irrigation Minister C.M. Udasi told presspersons here on Monday that the State, which had been divided into 234 watersheds, was assessed for groundwater in 2004. The badly affected districts were Kolar, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Tumkur, Davangere, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Koppal and Chitradurga. The "safe areas" were Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu and Shimoga. The other districts were partially affected. Over 80 watersheds had been overexploited, 10 were critical and 17 semi-critical.