Karnataka Drafts Rules to Mandate Borewell Approvals in Whitefield and Bengaluru

The Groundwater Directorate of Karnataka has drafted a new set of rules making prior permission mandatory for drilling borewells across Bengaluru, including in Whitefield, even for residential apartments and housing societies with existing water supply connections. The framework, formulated based on guidelines from the Central Ground Water Authority, aims to strictly regulate groundwater extraction and curb indiscriminate drilling in urban areas where groundwater tables face severe pressure.

The proposed regulations follow a rule introduced by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) earlier this year requiring permission before sinking a borewell. By formulating these new rules into an Act, state authorities intend to give the mandate greater legal backing and legal enforceability across residential and commercial properties.

BK Pavithra, Secretary of the Department of Minor Irrigation and Ground Water Development, stated that the framework seeks to eliminate ambiguities in central guidelines that are currently being exploited. Under a March 2023 amendment by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, individual domestic consumers, residential apartments, and group housing societies were exempted from obtaining permission or a No Objection Certificate for groundwater extraction up to 20 cubic metres a day for drinking and domestic use.

However, civic experts and residents report that commercial operators have been using those domestic exemptions to justify illegal drilling. In a recent instance in Whitefield, an upcoming paying guest facility began drilling a borewell, drawing objections from local residents before the owner proceeded after obtaining permission from the BWSSB. Multiple multi-storeyed PG facilities across the city have engaged in similar drilling practices.

Activist Sandeep Anirudhan noted that builders of PGs, hostels, and multi-unit rental structures frequently claim exemptions from prior approval despite running commercial operations. Officials from the BWSSB, the Karnataka Ground Water Authority, and the Minor Irrigation Department have acknowledged that the previous framework lacked clarity.

The issue is also impacted by building classifications under the Revised Master Plan 2015, where establishments obtain initial approvals under residential categories before operating commercially. Bangalore Development Authority Commissioner P Manivannan stated that any updates to these definitions would take place during future master plan discussions between the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. Authorities confirmed the new rules will also impose further conditions on residential buildings and prohibit groundwater usage for construction.