The Ernakulam district administration has launched an initiative to map private water sources supplying drinking water to tanker trucks. The move aims to regulate groundwater extraction and address growing water scarcity concerns.
The move follows a government order that mandates limits on the amount of water that can be drawn from such sources, mostly private wells, without affecting availability in neighboring areas. The directive comes amid growing complaints from residents about indiscriminate groundwater extraction leading to the depletion of nearby wells.
As part of the initiative, the Ground Water Department has been tasked with conducting yield tests in wells that supply water to private distributors. Based on the tests, the authorities set a daily mining limit for each source.
The district office has started accepting applications from well owners who want unconditional confirmation of the sale of the permitted amount of water. The process gained momentum following the directions of the district collector who convened a meeting of key departments including ground water, motor vehicles and police to speed up the implementation.
“We have started receiving inquiries from well owners regarding the procedure. They have been advised to submit applications on plain paper with necessary details. The formal application format is also being finalised. The yield tests will start in the next phase and efforts are on to start the process by the end of this month,” said Arts Purushotham, district officer, ground water department.
Applicants have to pay a fee of ₹3,860. Mining permits up to 10,000 liters per day will be issued at the district office level, higher volumes will require the approval of a district-level assessment committee chaired by the collector.
Meanwhile, extensive yield testing in the district may not be easy due to the lack of equipment in the district. Machines are currently being sourced from neighboring Idukki district to conduct tests as required.
The district has also yet to compile a comprehensive database of sources supplying water to private distributors. Ernakulam, which has been witnessing seasonal water shortages in recent years, relies heavily on private water tankers to meet its drinking water demand.
Published – 06 May 2026 21:16 IST
