Mysuru: The Mysore District Borewell Contractors Association has urged the District Administration to allow them to sink borewells in the city.

The members of the association held a meeting in Lingadevarakoppal on the outskirts of city yesterday and discussed these issues.

The Deputy Commissioner has passed an order that the borewells should not be sunk in the district which is an unscientific move, the protestors said and added that the move would lead to drinking water problems in city and rural areas in the district. The farmers also will be deprived of water for irrigation and their crops destroyed the protestors said and urged the DC to withdraw the order. They said that the District Administration had passed strictures in 2013 due to depletion of groundwater following shortage of rainfall earlier and added that a similar order has been passed again which is not correct.

“Last year we had good rainfall and the groundwater was recharged. Hence, the borewells sunk in the district yielded 90 per cent water. Water is available at 200 ft. to 300 ft. and it is not correct to prevent sinking of borewells,” said association’s Tippeswamy.

There are 65 rigs in the city and at least 1,300 people depend on this for their livelihood. With the DC’s new order their lives are at stake.  However, there is no information on which department is going to issue the permit. This is leading to confusion, he said.