JOIN USMagnitude of crisis baffles Central team
Though two borewells have been drilled in the village, upto a depth of 1,200 feet, the required amount of water is not available. Gorakh Singh, commissioner of the department of horticulture of the Union government and Bijay Kumar, managing director of the National Horticulture Board - members of the Central team - expressed awe at the situation.
The officials then saw a leak in the water supply pipeline and were aghast at the wastage in a district facing a water crisis.
Gangadharaiah, assistant executive engineer of the Zilla Panchayat, had no clear answers, when the Central team questioned him on the issue. The Central officials directed the local officials to ensure water is not wasted. S N Gangadharaiah, Special Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore Urban District, accompanied the Central team.
Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena, Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer N Shantappa, GP president Papamma, panchayat development officer Savitha and others were present.
Language barrier
The officials of the Central team could not speak Kannada, while the local officials were not conversant with Hindi or English, resulting in a communication gap.
Mines and Geology Department senior scientist Rajanna came to the rescue of Gangadharaiah, assistant executive engineer of the Zilla Panchayat, when the latter could not explain in Hindi the reasons for wastage of water to the Union government’s team.
A local was seen chipping in to help out the struggling officials.
Places visited
Central team to assess the drought situation visited three taluks in Chikkaballapur.
They inspected drought situation in Gowribidanur, Tippaganahalli, Vedalaveni, Gundapur, Hudugur, D Palya Cross and G Kuttur; In Bagepalli, Ramanapadi, Marupalli and Iddalurapalli and in Chintamani, K Kencharla Halli, Somakalahalli,
Chimmakallagunte and Hanumanayakanahalli.
Report soon to the Centre
Four teams have arrived from New Delhi to inspect drought hit areas in Chikkaballapur.
“We will prepare a report on the basis of statistics. Then we will submit the report to the Centre through the Chief of the team, Bijoy Kumar” said Nandakumar, a member of the inspection team.
Memorandum submitted
Requesting financial support to the farmers of the drought hit areas, Zilla Panchayat vice president B Savithramma, Gowribidanur taluk panchayat president Srinivasappa and vice president Chethana have submitted memorandum to the Central team.
They stressed that the team should help the farmers and consider waiving their loans, giving them interim relief and solving water problem.
Visit to Chief Secretary
The Central team will speak to the Chief Secretary of the State on December 18, after completing inspection of the drought-hit areas in Kolar and Chikkaballapur, said Bijoy Kumar, Managing Director of National Horticulture Board of Central Agricultural Department and Dr Gorahk Singh, Commissioner of Central Horticulture Department.
Speaking to the media, the central team members said that drought situation in Chitradurga, Haveri and Dharwad will be inspected.