Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil, who heads a Cabinet sub-committee on drought, has said that the State government will take a delegation to Maharashtra soon to seek release of water into the Bhima from the Ujjini Dam to solve the drinking water crisis in Kalaburgi and Vijayapura districts.
He told presspersons on Tuesday that the government had urged Maharashtra government to release water from the Ujjini Dam more than once, but they had not responded positively so far. “We will make yet another attempt to persuade Maharashtra to release water from the Ujjini Dam to the Bhima on humanitarian grounds.”
He pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, during his recent visit to Kalaburagi district, had promised to speak to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the issue.
To a question, Mr. Patil said that the drinking water situation was becoming more serious with more villages being added to the list of places which were being provided drinking water by tankers. As per the latest details, more than 1,000 villages in the State were being provided drinking water by tankers .
For instance, the Minister said that in Kalaburagi district, the total number of villages which were being supplied drinking water by tankers was 181 on April 16 and it had now gone up to 205 now. In Aland taluk alone, 121 villages were being provided drinking water through tankers.
Later at a review meeting, elected representatives said that holding review meeting would not solve the problem. They sought release of more funds and preparation of an action plan for replenishment of groundwater resources as a permanent solution to the recurring problem of drinking water crisis in the district.
