The four District Ground Water Officers have been told to facilitate and oversee the implementation of these wells, ensuring compliance with prescribed guidelines.

■ District Ground Water officers directed to permit Injection Wells

■ Groundwater recharge set for a boost, HMWSSB & Ground Water dept join forces on rain water harvesting

■ Revenue officials instructed to facilitate, not obstruct, injection well installations as per new directives

■ Earlier HMWSSB warned 17,000 residential properties to install RWH pits and Injection wells or pay double for water tankers

mahesh avadhutha I hyderabad

In a step towards sustainable water conservation, the Director of the Ground Water Department, Govt. of Telangana, has issued instructions to District Ground Water Officers of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, and Sangareddy districts to permit the installation of injection wells for Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) units. This directive aligns with the mandate set by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).

The four District Ground Water Officers have been told to facilitate and oversee the implementation of these wells, ensuring compliance with prescribed guidelines. This information was conveyed in writing by the Ground Water department to the HMWSSB a few days ago. As per the HMWSSB regulations, residential properties extending over 300 square meters must incorporate RWH systems, including injection wells wherever possible, to enhance groundwater recharge and mitigate urban water scarcity. The initiative aims to strengthen urban water management, promote sustainable groundwater replenishment, and support long-term water security in the region. 

Further, the Ground water officers in districts were told to ensure the drilling rig unit, involved in laying of injection wells for RWH structures, was registered with the Ground Water department. It may be mentioned here that Ground Water department was appointed as the nodal department from 2003 onwards for registration of drilling rig unit and all borewell drilling contractors have to get their rigs in their machinery to get registered with the department.

Earlier, HMWSSB raised concerns with Ground Water department Prior to the fresh communication from the Ground Water department, HMWSSB wrote a letter raising concerns about the difficulties property owners were facing when they were trying to install injection borewells and water harvesting pits in their residential premises.

It may be recalled that water board has issued notices to over 17,000 residential properties, sans RWH structures and built in excess of 358 sq.yards, which frequently depend on tanker services from the board for meeting their household needs especially during summer season. They were told to build harvesting pits and injection borewells in their premises at the earliest or try to cough up double the charge (Rs 500x2) for every water tanker order they book with the water board, usually on daily basis.

Following the notice, nearly 100 properties, including apartments and big independent houses, have built the water harvesting structures in their premises, with technical help from the HMWSSB. However, some property owners were facing issues locally when trying to lay injection borewells with revenue officials and local politicians landing up at the location, creating obstructions and ultimately stopping the drilling work. This issue was brought to the notice of Ground Water department by HMWSSB necessitating the fresh orders. 

Dr Krishna Kumar, a Geologist by profession, who offers consultancy services for residents on constructing borewells, rain water harvesting pits and injection wells, faced a similar experience. When he was helping a noted school in Ameerpet with construction of an injection well (which is dug upto 200 sq.feet maximum) along with the RWH pit, the local politicians and revenue officials landed at the location and stopped the drilling work. 

While water board is trying to create awareness in public about the need and advantages of harvesting process and injection wells, lack of awareness on the part of local politicians and even the ground revenue staff is acting as a deterrent to the whole initiative, Krishna Kumar felt.

A Tahasildar working in Medchal district said that for construction of a borewell, the concerned property owner should submit an application in office along with a nominal fee payment of Rs 1100 plus made in the Meeseva. This application will then be forwarded to the district Ground Water wing to give a go-ahead after assessing the conditions after which the property owner can engage a bore well contractor and machinery to get the work done.

When told about the latest communication from the Ground Water Department instructing its district units in GHMC limits not to interfere with construction of injection wells upto 200 feet in apartments and big houses, the revenue official said they will act accordingly after receiving the orders.