Although the authorities are claiming that they have taken steps to provide drinking water in rural areas, residents in villages across the district are complaining about acute water shortage.
Also, residents in Yadgir, Shahpur and Surpur city municipal councils and the Gurmitkal Town Panchayat are the worse hit as water resources have gone dry there. The Krishna, which is the main source of water for Surpur, has almost gone dry and the authorities are supplying water once in a week. The situation is similar in Shahpur. In Yadgir, the residents are getting water from the Bhima twice a week. According to official reports, 223 villages in the district have been facing drinking water shortage. Of them, 90 are in Yadgir taluk, 68 in Shahpur taluk and 65 are in Surpur taluk.
“Water is being supplied through tankers to Yampad tanda in Yadgir taluk and Nagnoor village in Surpur taluk,” S.M. Moinuddin, Executive Engineer of Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation division, told The Hindu .
“As many as 152 new borewell are being drilled in villages where drinking water problem is severe,” Mr. Moinuddin added.
According to sources, the situation is severe in Hunasagi, Kodekal, Nadihalli ( J) Naikal, Baradevanal, Mudbool, Wadagera, Rangampet, Putpak, Chandraki, Keswar, Devarahalli, Gazarkot, Gunjanoor, Hayyal, Hattigudur, Dornalli, Chamanal, Kadamgera, Ukkanal, Hotpet, Chandapur, Madarkal and tandas. People are forced to walk for miles to bring a pot of water as most streams, borewells and other sources of water have gone dry due to depletion of ground water level.
When water levels depleted in the Bhima and the Krishna recently, fish and crocodiles died and a few crocodiles came out of the dried river bed to the mainland in search of water.
“I have never seen such a situation in the recent past. Officials are not bothering to visit villages facing drinking water problem,” a resident of Bendebembali village said. He urged officials to visit these villages frequently to assess the situation.
An action plan to implement drinking water projects had been prepared and it would be submitted to the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj soon, Mr. Moinuiddin said.
