While supply of water through taps under Mission Bhagiratha continues to remain a pipedream in erstwhile undivided Adilabad district so far, the rapid recharge of ground water during the monsoon has saved the day. The situation with regard to supply of drinking water was bad in the districts of Adilabad and Kumram Bheem Asifabad during the summer months, more so in rural areas.
There was no water available in the Sri Ram Sagar Project in Nirmal district which is the source for supply to parts of Nirmal and Adilabad districts while the supply was erratic and water drawn from the Kumram Bheem project in KB Asifabad district, which is the source for that district and parts of Adilabad, was of unpotable quality wherever it was supplied through main pipelines.
The arrival of monsoon has not changed the status of Mission Bhagiratha water supply any bit. For example, even road side villages between Asifabad X road in Asifabad mandal and Utnoor X road in Utnoor mandal of Adilabad district are not getting potable water at present.
No connection yet
The overhead water reservoirs have neither been completed nor households in many of these villages given tap connections. The pipeline laid between KB project and Indervelli mandal in Adilabad district is leaky at best and does not serve the purpose.
“Our borewell has recharged sufficiently though the rainfall is insufficient,” pointed out Rao Singh, a Mathura villager from Jaitram tanda of Indervelli mandal as he talked about the status of drinking water supply to his village. “The Mission Bhagiratha water is completely turbid and only cattle are drinking it,” he added.
Deficit rainfall
In most of the perennially water shortage mandals in Adilabad district, the recharge of ground water has surprisingly been high though the average rainfall is 29 % in deficit so far this season.
For example, in Neredigonda mandal of Adilabad district, the level of ground water has risen from 48.10 m in June to 9.45 m this month thanks to excellent percolation of the normal rainfall.
Similarly, Bazarhatnoor mandal in the same district normal rainfall has resulted in an increase in ground water level from 36.5 m in June to 6.45 m this month.
In KB Asifabad, water is available at an average of 7.39 metres below ground level which is not much at variance from the 6.51 mgbl of last year. The district has received 22 % deficit rainfall.
