Members of the Bidar Zilla Panchayat have urged the State government to declare the district as drought-hit and start relief works. At a general body meeting on Wednesday, the members complained that water scarcity and crop loss were troubling farmers.
Venkat Rao Biradar said that women were breaking off marriage in some villages as they were tired of collecting water after walking several km every day. Chandrashekar Biradar, member, asked officials to start dredging of open wells and tanks. Some members complained that though borewells were drilled in some places, they did not have pump sets or pipelines to supply water to houses.
Sharat B., Chief Executive Officer, said the demand had been conveyed to district in-charge Minister Umashree, who has promised to raise the issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Mr. Sharat said the district administration and the zilla panchayat had taken up dredging of tanks under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act. Agriculture Department officials said the district received only 156 mm rain, against the average of 296 mm and the deficit was 48 per cent.
Of the targeted 3.4 lakh hectares (ha), sowing had been completed only on 2.9 lakh ha, officials said.
‘Women breaking off marriage as they are tired of collecting water after walking several km’
