Scarcity of water for drinking and also for irrigation dominated the public contact programme convened by Santosh Lad, Minister for Labour and district in-charge, in Sirguppa town recently.
“There is no water to drink and also for irrigation, though our villages are adjacent to the Tungabhadra. If there is water, there would be no power supply and vice-versa. Kindly initiate appropriate steps to help us overcome the chronic problem,” was the common refrain of a majority of farmers, particularly those in the tail-end of the command area and depending upon lift irrigation.
An official of the Irrigation Department explained to the meeting that people were withdrawing water illegally in the upper reaches and also violating cropping pattern leading to water shortage in the tail-end areas.
Intervening in the discussion, Mr. Lad told farmers from the tail-end areas that he would direct the officials concerned to form teams to regularly patrol the canals.
