The Hindu : Karnataka Govt. to tap private borewells

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Karnataka Govt. to tap private borewells

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore May 31. The Karnataka Government is seriously contemplating utilisation of borewells owned by industries, farmers, and those in residential localities to mitigate drinking water shortage if the situation worsens in the coming days.

The Minister of State for Rural Water Supply, K.B. Koliwad, told presspersons here today that most water sources, including perennial ones such as rivers and streams, in the State had dried up. Citing how even the Tungabhadra had met this fate, he said this posed a serious challenge in supplying drinking water, particularly in rural areas.

The Minister said the problem was so acute that the Tungabhadra Dam did not have water to be supplied in Ranebennur, Byadagi, Haveri, Mundaragi, and other towns. These towns were being provided with water which had been stagnating in the Bhadra Canal. Since this water was not fit for drinking, people had been asked to boil it before consumption or drink water drawn from borewells.

Mr. Koliwad, who has been given additional charge of the Department of Public Health Engineering, said that in view of the seriousness of the situation, the Government would order utilisation of private borewells. Their owners would be paid compensation. For maintaining the borewells, suitable agreements would be reached.

The charge of the Department of Public Health Engineering was with the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, M.Y. Ghorpade, before it was handed over to Mr. Koliwad. The latter said he would utilise the services of the department in implementing the drinking water schemes effectively.

He said the authorities of the districts had been directed to prepare a contingency plan for meeting any exigency. They had been asked to call meetings of people's representatives to discuss the shortage of drinking water and take their advice in alleviating it. They would be made to identify private borewells and asked to be ready with tankers in case of emergency. Recharging of borewells was another programme under serious consideration, and money was not a problem for taking up the work.

The Minister said what was appalling in rural areas and places bordering forests was that wild animals and snakes were straying into villages unable to bear the heat. People were aghast at seeing snakes taking shelter near water sources. In some areas, monkeys died of heat and dehydration. On the death of four people in Bagepalli and its surrounding villages, which he visited recently, he said it was due to consumption of contaminated water drawn from a borewell. Eighty-three people were afflicted by gastroenteritis. Poor maintenance of mini water tanks and leaking pipelines were responsible for it. The authorities concerned had been told to rectify the problem.

He made it clear that there was no paucity of funds in implementing drinking water schemes. The Government had spent Rs.11.15 crores in April and May under the State sector and another Rs.35 crores under the Central sector on supplying water. Under the drought relief works, Rs. 21.85 crores had been given to the deputy commissioners in the past two months, he added.

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