The groundwater availability in Devanahalli, near Bangalore, where the State Government has proposed to set up an international airport is very poor and even a tank in the area had dried up.

The entire area comes under what is called dark area's, meaning that the groundwater in the region has been overexploited, even a borewell drilled in the Anneswara Tank bed adjoining the airport site has failed to yield substantial quantity of groundwater. Besides; a borewell has been drilled to a depth of over 200 ft.

This is one of the finding indicated in the Integrated Resources Analysis for Structural Planning for the Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (BMRDA), A Hyderabad-based firm has been retained by the BMRDA to carry out a feasibility study and submit a technical report on the Bangalore Metropolitan regoin.

Report submitted

The BMRDA encompasses both the rural and urban districts of Bangalore, including Mallur taluk of Kolar district. The Indian Resources Information and Management Technical Private Limited, which was ontrusted with the task of mapping the resources of the BMRDA region and collecting the data submitted the report recently.

The 75-page plan report, based on satellite pictures provided by ISRO, confirms the finding of Central Groundwater Board, a Central Government organisation engaged in Mapping and monitoring the groundwater levels, that Devanahalli has little groundwater potential.

Interestingly, northern parts of Bangalore district including Anekal, Yelahanka and Hoskote come under dark areas, while the southern part still has sufficient potential for groundwater exploitation.

A team of researchers who examined the area after imageries of the area were furnished by ISRO found that though water was noticed in tank in November 1994, it had gone completed dry in 1995. The satellite data of the tank area confirms that the tank had no water in the 300 acres area in March 1995.

Satellite imageries of the area where the airport is proposed to be set up show that nearly half of the 2,000 acres earmarked for the project comes under forest area. Fifteen percent of the land belongs to small landholders. However since most of the land is owned by the Government, acquisition of land is unlikely to become a major issue .

Need to link taluk headquarters

The plan report has also called for the need to link all the taluk headquarters of Bangalore district by rail and road and has identified areas of growth and ranked them according to the infrastructure available. It has proposed a broadgauge rail link connecting Bangalore with K.R.Puram, Yelahanka, Devanahalli, Ramanagaram, Doddaballapur, Anekal, Harohalli, Kanukapura and Dobbspet.

The Bidadi-Ramanagaram belt has been identified as most suitable for taking up development works. With the Bangalore-Mysore broadgauge railway network and State Highway already passing through the towns, the report said even the groundwater potential in the area was good. Some of the other growth areas are Kanakapura and Tekal in Mallur taluk of Kolur district.

The plan has called for the preservation and conversation of the internationally known (marshy land) wetland of Belandur tank and its surrounding areas in Bangalore. It has suggested that the existing forest cover be protected and afforestation be taken up in wastelands.

It classifies granite in the district and has mapped the availability of quality granites which can be exported and other granites which can be used for laying storm water drains.

Several areas in and around Bangalore have been identified as having good potential for tourism. Among the places are Hessarghatta, Mekadatu, Shivaganga and Savandurga, Similarly, areas for locating manufacturing, manpower, electronics industries have been classified.

Detailing and classifying the available resources, including land, water, industry, forests and other aspects the macro-plan encompassing the 8,600 square kilometres of BMDRA limits, was recently approved by the Chief Minister, Mr. HD. Deve Gowde.

The structural plan, though recommendatory, could hult the lopsided development of Bangalore by calling attention to the sustenance and development of infrastructure. The plan is expected to act as a catalyst to restrict and regulate the growth of Bangalore and its surrounding areas.