CM Siddaramaiah directs officials to take steps to resolve drinking water problem

Bengaluru: Taking note of severe drinking water woes in some places due to lack of rain in the last few days, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday chaired a meeting in which he directed district administrations concerned to take immediate measures to ease people’s worries. The Chief Minister held a video conference with the district administrations of Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Koppala, Bellary, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of the state in this regard, and reviewed the Jal Jeevan Mission’s progress in these eight districts.

“Monsoon has started in the state on June 10. As per the information from June 1 to 11, the state received less than the usual rainfall. There is a shortage of 67 per cent. The Meteorological Department has predicted that rainfall will be normal in the coming days,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a release.

But due to lack of rain in the last few days, the government has taken notice of severe drinking water problems in some districts, it said. In 15 districts of the state, drinking water is being provided through tankers in 322 villages and private borewells are being rented in 148 villages. There was a drinking water problem in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts due to a shortfall in pre-monsoon rains, officials sharing the details of the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister said. As the monsoon has begun, the water problem is expected to be resolved in the coming days. In Raichur and Koppal districts, though there is no shortage of drinking water, the issue of contaminated water is being taken seriously, they said. Senior officials of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department have been instructed to visit the spot, conduct an inquiry and submit a report. Based on its report, the Chief Secretary has been directed to take action.