Over 1K borewells go dry, 652 villages grapple with acute water shortage in Karnataka

Mysuru: The water level in 1,010 borewells in various districts has depleted as the summer is reaching its peak in the state. 

The state has more than 1.23 lakh borewells. Those in Raichur and Shivamogga districts are among the worst affected.

Several other districts, including Uttara Kannada, Tumakuru and Vijayapura, are also reporting water problems, according to the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.

In Raichur district, 198 villages are facing water problems, followed by Shivamogga with 196 villages, Uttara Kannada with 184, Tumakuru with 152 and Vijayapura with 148 villages. Over one hundred villages, each in Koppal, Hassan, Davangere, Mandya, Ballari and Chikkamagaluru districts, are also facing the same problem. 

However, the number of villages facing drinking water issues has reduced this year compared to previous years.

Water is being supplied through tankers to affected villages. Private borewells have been obtained on rent for this purpose. Borwells with reduced water yield are being redrilled, according to officials.

In Bengaluru Urban district, villages under several gram panchayats are facing drinking water issues. In Bengaluru Rural district, too villages are facing similar issues, where water is being supplied through tankers.

G Ramaswamy, Executive Engineer, Rural Water Supply, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, said that some villages, which depend on borewells where the borewell yield has reduced, are facing issues.

These villages, depending on borewells, are yet to get river water under the Jal Jeevan Mission and the Multi-Village Water Scheme. The works are in progress, he said. Ramaswamy added that villages are not facing any shortage in water supply from river water sources like the Cauvery or Kapila rivers in Mysuru district.

Among 1,128 villages in Mysuru district alone as many as 708 depend on borewells as the multi-village water scheme and Jal Jeevan Mission to supply tap water connections to all households is still in progress. So far, they have hired private borewells in some areas and drilled new borewells to address the crisis, according to officials.

In Mysuru district, the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department has taken up works to provide tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission to all rural households, and most works are completed. Multi-Village Water Scheme project is also under implementation.

Susheela from Golur village of DB Kuppe Gram Panchayat, within Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in HD Kote taluk, Mysuru district, said that last week, they did not get water for five days and were forced to depend on unhygienic well water.  But the water supply was resumed following the intervention of the Zilla Panchayat officials, she added. 

She said the problem arose as a single borewell was serving multiple villages, and plans are now in place to drill an additional borewell.