Searing summer in Parkala throws up surprise of water abundance

The scorching heat and barren land on one side and inundated storm water drains and farm fields on the other side…the people in Parkala, Eshwaranagar, Kelaparkala and Baiderabettu areas are witnessing this unusual event since a couple of days.

The scorching heat since two to three months has left the land shattered into pieces and water content deep in the ground level seemed to be almost dried off. But, thanks to the miraculous change in the water-level that has brought drastic increase in the level of water in the rivulets, wells and storm water drains here that pass across the areas stretching from Eshwarnagar to Parkala.

Suresh Poojary in Kelaparkala who supplies water in tanker to KMC hospital and around Parkala and Manipal told Deccan Herald that the wells from where he fetched water had already gone deep. Besides the small streams and rivulets in and around Kelaparkala were nothing but reduced to dryness.

“But since Monday, there is a steady raise in the water-level in the wells in these areas. Today there is almost 4-5 feet increase in the water-level. The dry land in the rivulets and storm water drains have been flooded with water. It is a wonder and a new phenomenon never happened till date in my livelihood. I am born and brought up here,” the middle-aged person beamed.

Famers happy

The areas covering Brahma Baidarakala Garodi are also flooded with water, especially, the wells in the colony in Tulaja Bhavani area is filled with water. The farmers are happy that there is sufficient water for their farmland. The areas beneath the flat near petrol pump in Eshwaranagar is another wonder, wherein  the water spring  emerges from beneath the flat with the intensity and pressure equal to the water pumped through 3 to 5 HP pump set, point out localites.

Vittala Naika, a farmer who cultivates vegetables in his agricultural land, said that he is receiving excess water since the past 23 days to water his agricultural growths from the same water spring. He added that the water-level in the neighborhood wells has also been increased. Devendra Naika, a resident of Parkala recalled the dried up small streams in the Kelaparkala area. But now the water is surfaced in these streams. This water is not seepage or effluent water as many people have tasted it. There is no foul smell. It is clean and pure water, he said.The pond adjacent to the house of Vamana Naika which had gone dry in Baiderabettu is filled with water up to knee level.

Surprise phenomenon

The phenomenon has given birth to too many suspicious conjectures. Some say that the water pipe of Swarna drinking water 1st stage passing at a distance may be damaged and hence the sudden increase in the ground water level. A person revealed on condition of anonymity that the flat near the petrol pump in Eshwaranagar belongs to two BJP councillors. Though the Swarna 1st stage is exclusively meant for Manipal University and KMC area, there are also illegal water connections. One among them is said to be drawn towards BJP councillor’s flat. The pipe under the flat might have been damaged and water is gushing outwards in high pressure, he presumed.

CMC comments

On the other hand, CMC Commissioner Srikanth Rao has ruled out any malfunction in the connections or damages in the water connection pipes. He said the entire machinery was shut down and thorough testing was taken up. The water connection pipes have nothing to do with the rising of water-level in the area, he clarified.

Meanwhile, the Geologist of Panchayath Raj Engineering Department, Ramaiah, opined that if at all there is a minor tremble beneath the earth following the digging of bore-well in the surrounding area, there is a possibility of water-level increasing following the friction at the bottom of the earth. This might be one among other causes behind this surprising phenomenon, he said.