Devotees arriving from faraway places to attend the historical Deviramma temple fair at Chikkade in the district have a reason to cheer – the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has joined hands with the local gram panchayat to provide them with drinking water.
For the first time in the district in recent years, the KMF has come forward to provide drinking water to the devotees during the two-day fair that commenced on Monday.
On the first day, at least 25,000 litres of water were supplied to the devotees through a tanker. Keeping in mind the dry weather and heat wave, the initiative will be continued on Tuesday, sources at the KMF told The Hindu.
Noteworthy initiative
The Deviramma temple fair is one among the popular religious annual events in the region and attracts several thousands of devotees from faraway regions. In the previous years, the devotees had to face drinking water shortage.
The Chikkade Gram Panchayat had written to the KMF recently asking them to supply drinking water through tankers, sources added.
The panchayat comprises of Chikkade, Devegowdana Koppalu, Pattasomanahalli and some areas adjoining the popular picnic spot Kunti Betta. These residential areas have 12 handpumps and seven major drinking water projects. The KMF was asked to help as the fair was expected to attract at least 50,000 devotees.
Many outsiders put up temporary stalls to sell various items to the people during the fair. This was an opportunity to sell water bottles to the devotees to earn easy money. However, the initiative by the KMF will not just help quench the thirst of the devotees but also prevent them from losing money, a gram panchayat member said.
