SHIVAMOGGA: The villages of Kanagalasara and Umblebailu in Shivamogga taluk have started to feel the pinch of water crisis. Now there is hardly any water in the lakes of both the villages.
At a lake at Umblebailu, villagers wait for the whole day to get 15-20 pots of water. Umblebailu is situated about 15 km from Shivamogga city. On one side of the village, one can see the Tunga reservoir and on the other, the Bhadra backwaters. Though the village is surrounded by thick forests, borewells have gone dry.
“Only one out of eight borewells sunk this season is successful. To some extent, this borewell is quenching the thirst of the villagers of Kanagalasara (a village in Umblebailu gram panchayat) for the past one month. It does not mean that they have sufficient water. The village is reeling under water crisis,” said Sathish, president of Umblebailu GP. The villagers have been dependent upon a lake situated next to the gram panchayat office.
Now, the lake has dried up. But, in one corner, water still oozes out filling about 15-20 pots a day and the villagers have to wait for hours to collect it. When Express visited the spot, they found gram panchayat member Suma herself collecting water from this point inside the lake. The GP is providing water from another lake situated next to Umblebailu government high school. Each lane gets its turn once a week.
They also get water from private borewells in nearby areca plantations. “They purchase a drum of water for Rs 250-Rs 300”, said Indiramma, another GP member.
GP members and the president are unhappy that none of the officials of the ZP have visited their village to take stock of the situation.
“We have been reading in newspapers that officers have been asked to visit the spot whenever they get the information about the water problem in villages. But, none of them has actually paid a visit”. This was the collective refrain of the GP members.
CM Orders Suspension of 20 Officials
Haveri: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered the suspension of 20 senior government officials, including Joint Director of Agriculture, Deputy Director of Horticulture, six tahsildars, six assistant directors of agriculture and six assistant Directors of Horticulture, except Savanur taluk officials. They failed to make a joint survey of Rabi crops and did not submit a report to the government. Chairing a drought review meeting on Tuesday, the CM said farmers of Haveri district are the sufferers because of the lapses of these officials. ENS