PANJIM: The local authorities have sealed two bore-wells in Agassaim and initiated criminal action against an individual for allegedly illegally extracting and selling groundwater.
The action against one Mukesh Sawant is initiated following directions by High Court of Bombay at Goa to hold site inspection and take requisite action if illegalities come to the fore.
The directives came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that illegal and rampant extraction of groundwater by Sawant had severely depleted the level of groundwater in the village while also drastically affecting the fundamental right to water of the residents and farmers in the vicinity.
The petitioners stated that the wells in the area had all gone dry and the residents and farmers did not have sufficient water even for their domestic use while the violator continued to reap profits by illegally drawing and selling the ground water, which is a shared public resource.
The High Court had thereafter asked the authorities to conduct a site inspection and take requisite action if illegalities were noticed. Accordingly, the Water Resources Department inspected the site, and upon noting the violations, sealed the illegally sunk two bore-wells. Subsequently, the existing registration and permission for the open well was also revoked. The authorities also registered an FIR under the provisions of Section 379 (Punishment for Theft) of Indian Penal Code and Section 17(B) of the Goa Ground Water Regulation Act, 2002.
