Mindless exploitation

This is a propos the cover story, "Drought but why" (1-15 May, 2016). In India, anybody can dig a bore well to any depth. Water can be drawn at free will till the well dries. A natural resource does not belong to the land's owner, but to the state. This should apply to water as well. Any attempt at water conservation is bound to fail until the resource is adequately priced. The focus should be on reviving traditional water tanks as they help check floods and provide water in the dry season. Tanks help recharge the groundwater table as well. Water channels passing through cities, including drains, rivulets and rivers, should be kept healthy and open for rejuvenation. Construction near water channels and littering should be strictly monitored. R N MISRA AHMEDABAD

The alarming situation across India demands that we stop blaming deficit rainfall as the sole cause of the recurrence and increasing severity of droughts. The scarcity of water in drought-prone villages is due to two reasons. First, most of the surface water bodies dry before the onset of summer and second, there is an abnormal decline of the water table as the rabi irrigation starts. This is when we need to recharge aquifers. Failure to recharge aquifers will result in wells, rivers and bore wells drying up. This is a major loophole in India's drought mitigation initiatives.

Thus, to recharge the water table, hydro-geologists should be deployed to build groundwater recharge structures, for which they should also be held accountable. K G VYAS VIA EMAIL