<p class="title">Owing to the scarcity of water, residents of Hiregowja have resorted to open defecation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sujatha, a resident of SC/ST Colony, said the members in the house were avoiding the use of toilets. They go to open fields in order to answer Nature’s call.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The Zilla Panchayat staff members had come to the village for a survey on toilet usage. They returned without speaking a word after we had asked them to provide water in toilets,” she added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Another villager Shivamma said that there is very little flow of water in a hand pump. “One develops chest pain after tugging the handle of a hand pump in order to collect a potful of water. It is very difficult to manage water to wash utensils, clothes and also for bathing. The residents of the village have decided to take a bath only once in four days. A row of drums is found outside every house. The lakes and tanks are empty and the people are finding it difficult to provide water to the cattle too,” she complained.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Owing to the acute shortage of water, the people are forced to purchase water by paying<br />Rs 50 a drum, which is equivalent of 16 pots of water, from private suppliers. People say that the water supplied in tankers by the local panchayat is not sufficient.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sujatha said that there is a serious shortage of water for the past six years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The local panchayat had been supplying water in tankers once in 10 days and every house gets two drums of water during every supply. For a family of seven to eight people, two drums of water are not sufficient for 10 days,” she explained.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Women in post pregnancy and children in the house require water. Therefore, we purchase water by paying Rs 50 a drum. Our livelihood depends on daily wages. Of late, the money earned by the daily wage earners is spent on the water,” Sujatha said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Borewells in the village to have gone dry. Water collected from borewells in Sakharayapattana and the surrounding regions is, therefore, being supplied through tankers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Farmers too are worried as the crops have begun wilting. Some farmers had been purchasing water to save their tomato and chilli plants.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There is not much water in the tanks meant for cattle, which are being seen licking the moisture at the bottom of the tanks in order to quench their thirst.</p>.<p class="bodytext">APMC former president Basavaraju said that there is a need to rejuvenate the lakes in the village.</p>.<p class="bodytext">If the current situation persists, the villagers may have to migrate to other regions, he feared.</p>
<p class="title">Owing to the scarcity of water, residents of Hiregowja have resorted to open defecation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sujatha, a resident of SC/ST Colony, said the members in the house were avoiding the use of toilets. They go to open fields in order to answer Nature’s call.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The Zilla Panchayat staff members had come to the village for a survey on toilet usage. They returned without speaking a word after we had asked them to provide water in toilets,” she added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Another villager Shivamma said that there is very little flow of water in a hand pump. “One develops chest pain after tugging the handle of a hand pump in order to collect a potful of water. It is very difficult to manage water to wash utensils, clothes and also for bathing. The residents of the village have decided to take a bath only once in four days. A row of drums is found outside every house. The lakes and tanks are empty and the people are finding it difficult to provide water to the cattle too,” she complained.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Owing to the acute shortage of water, the people are forced to purchase water by paying<br />Rs 50 a drum, which is equivalent of 16 pots of water, from private suppliers. People say that the water supplied in tankers by the local panchayat is not sufficient.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sujatha said that there is a serious shortage of water for the past six years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The local panchayat had been supplying water in tankers once in 10 days and every house gets two drums of water during every supply. For a family of seven to eight people, two drums of water are not sufficient for 10 days,” she explained.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Women in post pregnancy and children in the house require water. Therefore, we purchase water by paying Rs 50 a drum. Our livelihood depends on daily wages. Of late, the money earned by the daily wage earners is spent on the water,” Sujatha said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Borewells in the village to have gone dry. Water collected from borewells in Sakharayapattana and the surrounding regions is, therefore, being supplied through tankers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Farmers too are worried as the crops have begun wilting. Some farmers had been purchasing water to save their tomato and chilli plants.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There is not much water in the tanks meant for cattle, which are being seen licking the moisture at the bottom of the tanks in order to quench their thirst.</p>.<p class="bodytext">APMC former president Basavaraju said that there is a need to rejuvenate the lakes in the village.</p>.<p class="bodytext">If the current situation persists, the villagers may have to migrate to other regions, he feared.</p>
