Most of the tanks in the district have gone dry owing to the poor monsoon and prolonged dry spell. This has caused serious concern over the availability of drinking water in most of the villages of the district. It is not just the humans who are facing the brunt of the poor monsoon. Even cattle and other animals are being deprived of water.
Three departments— minor irrigation, major irrigation and the engineering section of the zilla panchayat— are filling the tanks with whatever water is available in the rivers and other minor water bodies.
Chennakeshava, Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Department told The Hindu that except 11 tanks all the other 39 tanks coming under the department have gone completely dry. Even the 11 tanks which are not completely dry have just 20-25 per cent of their total capacity, he said. Presenting a grim picture of the groundwater table in the district, Mr. Chennakeshava said that most of the hand-pumps had become defunct. “Keeping in mind the possible grim situation in the coming days, the department has taken up the process of filling the tanks with whatever water is available in the river,” he added. He further said works are already on to fill the tanks with water from two river, including Lakshman Thirtha. “The main intention of filling the tanks with river water is to recharge the groundwater table and to ensure water both for humans and animals in rural areas,” he said.
Giving details about the tanks coming under the department’s purview in the district, he said there are seven tanks in Hunsur covering an area of 1,797 hectares; 12 tanks in Piriyapatna (1,283 hectares achacut); seven tanks in Mysuru taluk (539 hectares); 15 tanks in H.D. Kote (2,393 hectares); seven tanks in Nanjangudu taluk (1,625 hectares) and two tanks in T. Narasipura (89 hectares). Meanwhile, the project to fill over 25 dry tanks near Ananduru Koppalu at a cost of Rs.15 crore is in progress, Mr.Chennakeshava said. “The tanks have to be rejuvenated and filled with river water ... else, the rural areas of the district may face a serious threat of water scarcity,” he said.
