The rapidly rising water scarcity in Mandya has worried the district administration which has now instructed officers in the water-starved taluks to take urgent steps for tiding over the situation until the onset of monsoon.
“Take steps on a top priority for addressing the drinking water crisis as we have been getting a lot of complaints from the people. The tahsildars, the taluk panchayats EOs and the engineers of rural water supply department must hold meetings daily and prepare a list of villages that are facing severe and moderate water crisis and accordingly take steps,” said Deputy Commissioner Kumara.
Presiding over the Disaster Management Committee meeting at his office and interacting with the tahsildars during a video conference, he said there is no scarcity of funds for addressing drinking water problems. The situation needs to be properly and effectively handled. The payments for the water supplied through tankers and sourcing water from private borewells for supply in affected villages can be done through the funds under the disaster management.
He also said that the payments can also be made through the RDPR Department since a sum of ₹20 lakh and ₹25 lakh had been released earlier. The works taken up under the funds must be discussed and accordingly further works can be planned for addressing drinking water problems, he said, adding that a sum of ₹45 lakh has also been released and an estimate has to be prepared for the water supply works.
Dr. Kumara said the water supply being done through tankers has to be recorded on the tanker management app otherwise the payment to the operators will be difficult. If water is being sourced from private borewells, an agreement with the owners was necessary.
He told the tahsildars to hold meetings with the PDOs every week and prepare a list of villages that are facing water and fodder crises.
In total, water is being sourced from 120 private borewells. The taluk-wise break up is as follows: K.R. Pet with 29 borewells, Maddur 17, Malavalli 7, Mandya 37, Nagamangala 17, Pandavapura 8, and Srirangapatna with 5.
