KURNOOL: The summer has just set in, but many areas, including a few towns in the district, have started facing water scarcity. Almost all the villages in Adoni revenue division and half of Kurnool revenue division are facing water shortage.
Even some villages in Kolimigundla and Owk mandals of Nandyal revenue division are likely to face water shortage soon, an official of Rural Water Supply (RWS) said.
Due to less rainfall in the district this year, several water sources like borewells, tanks and irrigation projects have less water compared to last year. Only 50 TMC of water is available in all major and medium reservoirs, including Srisailam, Sunkesula, Gajuladinne and Owk, against the total capacity of 260.05 TMC.
The summer is likely to be problematic for the RWS officials to meet the drinking needs of people, an irrigation official noted. Kurnool has received an average rainfall of 646.90 mm this water year against the normal rainfall of 609.40 mm, while the rainfall last year during the same period was 1051.40 mm.
With tube-wells lying defunct and water sources dried up, people are walking down to ponds to fetch drinking water in various villages in Alur, Pathikonda, Yemmiganur, Mantralayam, Dhone and Kodumur Assembly segments.
Drinking water schemes set up in several villages spending crores of rupees to give solace to the water-starved areas, have failed to solve the crisis. Most of the schemes are supplying water only for some days. RWS Superintending Engineer Ch Vidya Sagar told TNIE that they have identified some villages in Nandyal, Kurnool and Adoni divisions which are facing water crisis.
“We have prepared an action plan to supply drinking water to all 1,575 villages in the district as per their requirement,” the SE said and added that they planned to supply drinking water through tankers.
“We are repairing the defunct water sources,” the SE said and urged the people to inform the RWS staff if any village faces drinking water problem.