Water level has depleted at River Cauvery in Guhya village.
Credit: DH Photo
Siddapur: The water level in the Cauvery River and its tributaries has decreased due to the scorching heat. The coffee plants and other vegetation have also wilted due to the harsh summer, leaving farmers in distress.
The tributaries that join the Cauvery River are also drying up, causing a decline in the river's water level. The Ghattadalla tributary near Siddapura has almost stopped flowing. The flow of the Kommetodu, which joins the Kaveri River through Kannangala village, has also reduced. Additionally, the water flow in the tributaries of Nelyahudikeri, Guhya, and Karadigodu areas has decreased, leading to a drop in the Cauvery water level. On one hand, there is no rainfall, and on the other, farmers are drawing water from the river for their plantations, resulting in a decline in the river's water level.
Withering coffee plants
In the current year, the Siddapura region has not received any rainfall so far. As a result, farmers are irrigating their plantations with water from lakes and rivers. However, in most areas without water facilities, coffee plants have started to dry up.
In several coffee estates in the Maldare region, coffee saplings have already dried up, causing losses to the farmers. Due to water scarcity, pepper vines have also started to wither in some places.
The water level in the lakes of the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve and Devamacchi forest in the Maldare region has also gone down. The water in the Maldare Gaddige Betta lake has significantly reduced. Wild animals and birds are forced to search for distant lakes for water. The forest department has already cleaned the fire lines along the roads to prevent the spread of forest fires due to the heat and has taken precautionary measures. Last year, when the water level in the lakes dropped, tankers were used to fill them up. Devaraj, the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the Titimati Wildlife Division, said that if the heat intensifies in the coming days, the drying lakes in the forest will be filled with water.
Maldare forest guard Timmanna has kept water in a tub near his house and office for birds to quench their thirst.