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Several mandals in the grip of water scarcity
Several mandals and municipalities in the district are facing severe drinking water shortage with fall in groundwater levels. Tanks, canals and backwaters of Penna river at Siddavatam have completely dried up. The situation is worse in the mandals like Kalasapadu
Kadapa: Several mandals and municipalities in the district are facing severe drinking water shortage with fall in groundwater levels. Tanks, canals and backwaters of Penna river at Siddavatam have completely dried up.
Highlights:
- District administration identified only 16 mandals
- Groundwater levels plummeted in the district with rise in mercury levels
- Rs 30 crore sanctioned to mitigate the drinking water problem, says RWS SE
The situation is worse in the mandals like Kalasapadu, Kamalapuram, Chakrayapeta, Vemula, Porumamilla, Peddamudium, Galiveedu, Rayachoti, Budvel, Simhadripuram, Lingala, Lakkireddy Palli, Chinnamandem, Mydukur, Sundupalli, Ramapuram and Jammalamadugu. Women are forced to walk for more than a kilometer to get water.
Farmers are selling away cattle to slaughter houses with water shortage. “We are not in a position to take bath even once in two days,” said a villager B Veera Reddy. Groundwater levels fell drastically with rise in mercury levels. According to the sources, 60 per cent mandals in the district are in the grip of water scarcity. Official records have disclosed that the groundwater levels drastically fell to 21.54 meters as against 15.04 meters compared to previous year.
The district administration identified 16 mandals are facing water shortage and water is being supplied to 140 villages in these mandals through tankers. Proddatur, Mydukur and Pulivendula municipalities are getting water through Gandikota reservoir. During a review meeting recently, YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has urged the Anantapur Collector to release water from the Chitravathi Balancing Reservoir (CBR) to meet drinking needs of the Pulivendula Assembly constituency.
Speaking to The Hans India, Rural Water Supply (RWS) Superintending Engineer (SE) C Sanjeeva Rao admitted that 60 per cent mandals in the district are witnessing acute drinking water scarcity. He said state government had sanctioned Rs 30 crore to mitigate the drinking water problem. The SE stressed on the need for installing new motors in villages. But, the funds were sanctioned to supply water through tankers and getting old motors repaired, he added.
By M Srinivasa Rao
