As many as 336 identified villages and hamlets are likely to go without drinking water supply from local sources and residents here will have to depend on tanker-supplies if there is no rain during May and June. This, even as the district administration is anxiously waiting for Maharashtra to release water from its reservoirs into the Krishna river.
Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram said here on Monday that the state government was pursuing its request to Maharashtra government to release two tmcft of water into the Krishna river.
Recently, Minister for Small Scale Industries and district in-charge Satish L. Jarkiholi had said Maharashtra would release one tmcft of water each in the first weeks of April and May. However, there was no official communiqué from Maharashtra government or the district authorities in Satara or Kolhapur districts in this regard.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who held a video conference with the Deputy Commissioners of 12 drought affected districts, including Belagavi on Sunday, has asked the officials to visit the affected areas and take steps to mitigate the problem.
Mr. Jayaram said that of the four contingency plans for April, May and June had been prepared to mitigate drinking water shortage. As of now, water is being supplied by tankers to 81 villages. Though there was a prospect of rainfall in May, the number of villages in Chikodi, Raibag, Gokak, Ramdurg and Athani exhausting its water sources was increasing.
The government has provided Rs. 50 lakh each for every Assembly constituency through the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and another Rs. 50 lakh each for each of the 10 taluks of the district under the contingency plans. The funds would be utilised to rejuvenate and repair bore wells, open wells, pipelines, and open goshalas and supply fodder for the cattle, he said.
No compensation
The Deputy Commissioner said there was no provision to disburse compensation to the dairy owners who lost a huge quantity of dry fodder in an accidental fire on Nanawadi-Savgaon Road three days ago. However, on sympathetic grounds, a goshala would be opened immediately where fodder would be supplied free of cost.
