Depleting groundwater level has impacted the drinking water supply in rural areas of Shivamogga district in Karnataka. Following complaints of non-availability of water, Shivamogga zilla panchayat has been forced to drill new borewells and supply water through tankers.
In the current financial year, the ZP drilled 92 fresh borewells, of which only 63 yielded water. Besides that, the ZP has been supplying water through tankers to 109 villages.
The ZP received a list — from gram panchayats and taluk panchayats — of villages facing acute problem of drinking water. Local bodies had been instructed to utilise the funds available under the 14th and 15th Finance Commission grants. Taluk-level task forces have been formed under the leadership of taluk panchayat executive officers, tahsildars and assistant engineers of rural water supply and sanitation wings of the ZP. The task forces can take up emergency works necessary to ensure drinking water.
Started early to get enough time to check quality of work
Snehal Lokhande Sudhakar, zilla panchayat CEO, said the ZP began the exercise of preparing an action plan for the current financial year. This year, the focus will be on recharging the groundwater table.
“We will take up the work necessary to harvest rainwater, and recharge the groundwater table. The work could be taken up under the MGNREGA. The objective is to eliminate drinking water shortage in the coming years,” he said.
This year, preparation of the action plan began early so that there would be sufficient time to inspect the completed work. “Earlier, the actual work would start late, leaving insufficient time to check quality of the work. However, this time, we are taking measures to ensure that work is of good quality,” he added.
