Date:19/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/19/stories/2006101914530300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Major drinking water crisis looms large over Anantapur district

Staff Reporter

Groundwater table depletion tells on farming

Poor rainfall enables 60 p.c. cultivation even in kharif

Water transport through tankers on the rise

ANANTAPUR: Scanty rainfall in the district is threatening to go into a major drinking water crisis in the coming months. The fact that the administration is transporting water through tankers to three villages for about two months now even before the onset of winter explains the veracity of the impending problem.

The impact of fast depleting groundwater table already has a telling effect on the farming community, as about half-a-dozen farmers have ended their lives forcibly due to drying up of farm

borewells in the last few months. Poor rainfall has enabled cultivation of just 60 per cent of the land normally cultivated in the kharif season according to official estimates.

Hand pumps go dry

When contacted, officials of the Rural Water Supply Department stated on Tuesday that, of the 14,383 hand pumps under their purview, 530 had already gone dry and the remaining 13,853 were functioning. Water was being transported to Vasapuram in Yellanur mandal and Garugu Chintalapalli and Goparajupalli in Putlur mandal due to withering of sources of water schemes.

Depletion of groundwater table in the area was also very high, they said.

The number of villages that would require transportation of water were likely to rise further.

A survey conducted by the department projected severe water problem in 396 villages in the coming months. Groundwater table in Settur, Gummaghatta, Kambadur, Kanganapalli, Lepakshi, Parigi and Yadiki mandals had already gone below 20 meters depth making them dark areas. Madhudi village in Agali mandal recorded the deepest groundwater table at 70.75 meters and Galagalla village in Gummaghatta mandal at 41.5 meters.

Water table

Water table in 18 mandals was recorded between 15 and 20 meters below surface, between 10 and 15 meters in 24 mandals and between 5 and 10 meters in another 14 mandals. Situation in urban areas too is no better.

With the exception of Tadipatri municipality, five other municipalities and one municipal corporation in the district are also faced with decreased water supply.All the 29 comprehensive protected water supply schemes maintained by RWS and another 19 CPWS schemes maintained by Satya Sai project and 2,894 Protected Water Supply Schemes were functioning normally for now, the officials claimed.

Repairs

Repairs of the PWS schemes maintained by the gram panchayats concerned were being attended to by the department within 24 hours of encountering the problem.

The department had written to the Government in September seeking Rs. 19.7 crores for drinking water needs in the district till June 2007.

The District Collector also written to the Government on October 13 seeking another Rs. 5 crores for drinking water needs under drought management funds.