Over 6,000 villages in Karnataka may face drinking water crisis

As many as 6,380 villages in the state could face drinking water crisis this summer, according to the government, and Shivamogga in the Malnad region could be the hardest hit among all districts.

Hubballi: As many as 6,380 villages in Karnataka could face drinking water crisis this summer, according to the government, and Shivamogga in the Malnad region could be the hardest hit among all districts.

Of the total, at least 2,100 villages are in the seven Malnad districts that receive the highest rainfall in the state, which environmentalists said is a reflection of the steady decrease in green cover. The arid Kalyana Karnataka region has 1,325 villages that could face drinking water crisis.

With 649 villages, Shivamogga is on the top of the list, followed by Hassan (581), Raichur (512), Mandya (473) Uttara Kannada (411), Kolar (333), Chitradurga (321), Chikkamagaluru (271), Chikkaballapur (269) and Kalaburagi (266).

The RDPR department has identified these villages based on their previous years' data. 

Experts and environmentalists attribute the growing list of villages facing drinking water crisis to the unmindful development in the Malnad region.

“Unlike the arid region, where the earth holds the water, in the Malnad region the forest area fixes the ground water table. However, reduction in the green cover and increase in human population has meant that rainwater is running off the surface,” said Sirsi-based environmentalist Shivananda Kalave.  

Across the state, some districts have already started facing drinking water crisis and district administrations are supplying drinking water through tankers.

At present 68 gram panchayats in 10 districts, a majority of them in the old-Mysuru region and Kalyan Karnataka, have hired water tankers to supply drinking water to 83 villages. The RDPR department has identified 1,344 tankers and 3,683 private borewells across the state to supply drinking water in times of crisis.

Anjum Parwez, RDPR Additional Chief Secretary, said the drinking water crisis this year would not be as severe as last year. “The India Meteorological Department has predicted that the state would receive good pre-monsoon showers and the reservoirs have sufficient water storage,” said Parwez.

He said the government has set aside Rs 250 crore to take up any contingency works. “Digging fresh borewells will be the last priority of the government,” he said.

Rahul Tukaram, Raichur Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive officer, said of the 512 villages 300 plus villages could face crises as they depend on canal water supply and the borewells are not reliable due to hard water (nitrate and arsenic) content.

“We have chalked out plans to address the issue by filling tanks with river water in vulnerable villages. Each gram panchayat has been asked to identify at least two-three reliable borewells to supply drinking water,” he said. 

Mandya is another district with vulnerable villages. The administration is already supplying drinking water from seven private borewells to four gram panchayats.

“Every week, the task force constituted under deputy commissioner’s chairmanship has been conducting meetings to take stock of the situation. We have energised borewells and collected samples of all the borewells to check for the quality of water,” said Nandini K R Mandya ZP CEO.

Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegade said they have sufficient funds to address the issue.