Government issues fresh guidelines In an effort to crack down on open borewells that are yet to be fitted with a pump, the State government has said it will take strict action against rig companies and owners in such cases. The owner of the plot in which the borewell is dug is also obligated to construct a concrete wall around and display signage indicating danger. The State government, in a set of new directions issued on Wednesday, has directed the district-level committees headed by the Deputy Commissioner to oversee sealing of yielding borewells until they are ready for use. The Committee headed by a Deputy Commissioner will comprise Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat, Superintendent of Police, District Social Welfare Officer, District head of Mines and Geology, Executive Engineer, tahsidars of taluks and Executive Officers of Taluk Panchayat. The guidelines have been revised after criticism following the Sulikeri incident, where a six-year-old boy fell in to an open well and rescue operations are still on. It will be mandatory for the land owners to get No-Objection Certificate (NoC) from local authorities before sinking borewells in areas declared by Karnataka Groundwater Authority as over-exploited ground water areas.