At least 15 per cent of the district’s population is reeling under a severe drought and facing acute drinking water shortage, as a large number of water sources such as open wells, borewells and water tanks have run dry.
According to Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram, at least five lakh people and three lakh heads of cattle in 150 villages in the district have been affected. A majority of them are in Athani, Chikkodi, Gokak, Raibag, Ramdurg and Saundatti taluks. The taluk administrations are having to supply drinking water by tankers every day. Cattle fodder has also been made available at subsidised prices.
Mr.Jayaram, who held a meeting with senior officials of various departments recently, said a district control room has been opened at the office of the executive engineer, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, at Kolhapur Circle.
Contact numbers
The public can contact it by dialling 0831-2420835. A control room has also been set up at the Belagavi Taluk Panchayat office (0831-2407229). Village heads have also been given the mobile phone numbers of taluk officials to contact them in cases of emergency.
