The resurfacing of decades-old Hanuman temple in Manjeera river stands testimony to the severity of the drought prevailing in the district.
The temple is located almost in the middle of the river which had dried up due to lack of rains and also due to scanty water flow from the upper stream.
The locals claim that the temple was constructed long back by villager when the idol of Lord Hanuman drifted to the shore. People began worshiping the lord and performing puja. This continued for a long time the temple got submerged in the river water.
“We are scared with the situation. The rocks at the bottom of the river are exposed and this is alarming. The entire stretch got dried up, except for a few parts where muddy water is available which cannot be used for drinking purpose. Some farmers installed temporary motors to lift and pump that muddy water to save their standing crops. We do not know what the situation would be during summer,” Mr. Jagadeeshwar Reddy, who came to perform puja, told The Hindu.
The villagers are a worried lot about the fate of Manjeera and its adverse impact on their lives.
“I never witnessed such a pathetic condition of the river in my 35 years of life. Some people are saying that weather department had forecast that there would be no rains due to El Nino next year as well.
In this situation it is very difficult for farmers to survive as they are know only cultivation and are totally dependent on, says Ramesh, another resident of the village.
However people are making a beeline to the temple and worshiping Lord Hanuman perhaps with a hope that he would listen to their prayers for good rains
