The unusual rise in temperatures in Kuppam in Chittoor district, followed by fall in the groundwater levels at several places, is becoming a cause for concern.
The Kuppam Assembly constituency, represented by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu since 1989, holds a vast rural belt in the district. In spite of the efforts of the district administration’s efforts to overcome the drinking water crisis, several villages are reeling under water crisis since decades. Except for groundwater, there is no permanent source of drinking water for this tail-end region.
The November 2015 rains brought some relief to Kuppam, with considerable improvement in groundwater levels, which generally dip to 1,000 to 1200 feet. Every summer, additional funds are pumped into the constituency to tackle the water crisis. During the previous regime of the TDP before 2004, check dams were constructed on Palar river, with its course from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu via Kuppam, and after the TDP returned to power in bifurcated Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the height of the check dams was increased by a couple of feet. In spite of these measures, the last time people saw water in Palar river was seven years ago.
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Villages around Kuppam town are facing severe water problem, and there have been reports of women staging protests.
On Monday, people of Dalavai Kothapalle hamlet staged a demonstration at the mandal office in Kuppam, demanding water.
At present, residents of Kuppam are being supplied with water once in three days, leading to an uneasy situation.
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