The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has said that water crisis in the State will deepen if the Union government notifies the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
He was speaking at a meeting held here on Wednesday to review development works.
“I don’t want to politicise the issue…, Mr. Gowda said. Forget irrigation, if the final award was notified, people would not get water even for drinking purpose, he said.
“It is a serious problem. Groundwater level has depleted to such an extent that even if we dig for 1,000 ft, we are not sure of getting water,” he said.
Mr. Gowda instructed officials to stop releasing water from the Hemavati reservoir into irrigation canals in view of the impending crisis during summer.
“If we don’t initiate such measures, we will not be in a position to provide drinking water in the coming days,” he said.
He suggested to the Hassan district administration and people’s representatives to workout a comprehensive master plan to meet the drinking water requirements in the district.
MLAs H.D. Revanna and K.M. Shivalinge Gowda instructed officials to address drinking water problems in rural areas immediately.
Mr. Shivalinge Gowda said the district administration should set up goshalas (cattle shelters) in rural areas.
