Drought batters Malur year after year

The taluk once known for the cultivation of flowers and vegetables has become synonymous with drought. The quantum of rainfall has reduced year after year.

So much so that most of the tanks, ponds and others sources of water have gone completely dry.

The sun-baked cracked tank bed have become a common sight in the taluk. So scare is water, that recently, many newspapers carried a photograph of the people in a village in the taluk sleeping next to a tap. 

Though people are willing pay a high price for the water, there is still no supply. There is acute drinking water crisis in all the 130 villages in the taluk.

This year drought is said to be more severe than last year as their is no water or fodder even for livestock. In absence of any major river or canals in the taluk, the groundwater has depleted severely.

The water is not available even at depths of 1,500 ft. If available, it has high fluoride content, resulting in various diseases among people.

TP’s apathy

The Taluk administration which has all the information about the region should have called a meeting before the summer, chalked out a plan to address the water woes in the town and in the 28 gram panchayats in the taluk and should have submitted a proposal to government.

However, the officials concerned in the taluk spring into action only during the drought season. This has angered many residents.

The State government’s ambitious project to solve drinking water crisis in three taluks of the district including 45 villages, the Rs 160-crore Yaragol Permanent Drinking water project is yet to be completed. The work on the Rs 40-crore Markandeya Dam project for drinking water has almost come to a standstill.

There are signs of the project being completed in near future.

Mugaluru lift irrigation

Drain water flows into Tamil Nadu in Mugaluru near Chikka Tirupati, which can be harnessed for the welfare of the people. The lift irrigation work on Mugaluru project is almost complete with 25 pc work remaining.

Malur MLA S N Krishnaiah Setty was instrumental in taking up the project. Once completed, it will provide water to nine tanks in the region including Lakkuru tank, Alambadi, Chikka Tirupati, Sampagere and Gollahalli. Once filled, the tanks will recharge groundwater and will in a major way solve drinking water project.

However, the MLAs in the district, in bid to hold to their positions are busy distributing cycles to girl students and sarees to woman, said Permanent Irrigation Agitation Committee member Gopala Gowda.

The legislators should stop alluring voters and instead should concentrate on solving the drinking water crisis and completing Mugaluru lift irrigation project, he added.