IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) WEDNESDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF DECEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 20482 of 2002 Between: 1 Nallapu Shankaraiah S/o Malliah Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 2 B.Indresena Reddy S/o Thirupathi Reddy Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 3 A.Mallaiah S/o Anjaiah Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 4 A.Hilaiah S/o Lachaiah Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 5 N.Ravi S/o Rajamulu Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 6 N.Veeraiah S/o Buchaiah Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 7 A. Bhoomaiah S/o Lagmaiah Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. 8 A. Beeraiah S/o Lagmaiah Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. ..... PETITIONER(S) AND 1 Govt of A.P., rep by its Dist Collector, Karimnagar Dist. 2 Superintending Engineer Rural Water Supply, Opp Collector's Complex, Karimnagar Dist. 3 Dy.Executive Engineer Rural Water Supply Sub-Division, Malliah Mandal & Post, Karimnagar Dist. 4 MRO., Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar Dist. .....RESPONDENT(S) Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to to issue an order direction or writ particularly one in the nature of writ of mandamus declaring the action of the respondnets in not implementing the act 7 of 1996 A.P., Ground Water (Regulation for drinking water purpose) act 1996 as illegal, & arbitrary & consequential direct the respondnets restraining the villageof Balwanthapur Village, mallial Mandal, Karimnagar dist from digging borewwell in violation of act 7 of 96 Counsel for the Petitioner:MR.G.VIDYASAGAR Counsel for the Respondent No.: GP FOR IRRIGATION & COMM AREA DEV. The Court made the following : THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE L. NARASIMHA REDDY W.P.No. 20482 of 2002 ORDER: The petitioners are residents of Kothapalli Hamlet of Sarvapur Village, Mallial Mandal, Karimnagar District. It is stated that the ground water levels i n Kothapalli village have gone down substantially. The village abuts Balwanthapur. The grievance of the petitioners is that the villagers of Balwanthapur have been digging bore wells along the border of the villages and the same has resulted in further depletion of the water table. The petitioners state that the respondents have not taken any steps to implement the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Ground Water (Regulation for Drinking Water Purposes) Act, 1996 (for short ‘the Act’). The respondents have not filed any counter affidavit. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Government Pleader for Irrigation. The petitioners do not seek any individual benefit for themselves. Their grievance is about the non-implementation of the Act by the respondents. The very purpose of enactment of the Act was to ensure that indiscriminate digging of bore wells is prevented and the water table in the areas concerned is protected. While admitting the writ petition, this court passed an interim order directing the respondents to ensure that no bore well is dug in the boundary of Kothapalli hamlet of Servapur and Balwanthapur villages. The interim orders are in force and the final relief deserves to be granted in terms thereof. Hence, the writ petition is allowed and the respondents are directed to implement the provisions of the Act in the context of digging of bore wells in the boundary between the revenue villages of Sarvapur and Balwanthapur. There shall be no order as to costs. ____________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY,J 24.12.2008 Stp