‘Digging bore wells won’t work’

The decision of the BMC to dig bore wells to tide over the looming water crisis in the city will exacerbate the problem, India’s water man and Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh said on Tuesday. Rainwater harvesting is the only sustainable solution for Mumbai, he said. 

“The decision of the BMC is nothing but a major leap towards future disaster,” Singh said. “Instead of bore wells, the administration should create awareness on rainwater harvesting. The mindless exploitation of water resources has resulted in the water cuts in Mumbai,” he said.

Singh said there are a few sweet water deposits in some parts of the city. But they will not be enough to take care of the water needs of the city. If the civic administration implements the decision to dig bore wells in the city, the aquifers will get contaminated with saline water and die. “Mumbai will then be left with no source of sweet water”

He criticised politicians and administrators for ignoring sustainable solutions. The entire country is facing food and water scarcity due to faulty policies, he said. According to him, roof top rainwater harvesting must be made compulsory for all buildings. “ There is no other alternative but to preserve rain water in the catchment areas of rivers flowing through the city,” Singh said. He said the civic administration must check leakages in the century-old pipelines.