The issue of water scarcity overrode all other issues at the Karnataka Development Programme review meeting in Bidar on Monday.
Just as the meeting began, MLAs Eshwar Khandre, Rajshekar Patil and Mallikarjun Khuba complained that people across the district were suffering from serious water scarcity and there was no solution in sight.
Mr. Eshwar Khandre said that most of the villages in Bhalki taluk were suffering from water scarcity. Borewells have failed in most villages. In some villages, the water table has sunk to 1,000 ft.
In villages such as Tegumpur, people are buying water from private tankers. “If we don’t act now, we will be inviting disaster,” he said.
He said that public representatives were facing pressure from th people in towns and villages. “In the morning today, I was gheraoed by 200 women from a nearby village,” he said.
He complained that officials were slow in spending sanctioned funds. In some villages, works sanctioned two-three years ago are yet to start, Mr. Khandre said.
Mr. Patil and Mr. Khuba joined him and said that they were facing similar problems in their constituencies.
Mr. Khuba wanted to know if the zilla panchayat or the district administration had conducted a scientific study of the demand for water in the district and its availability.
He complained that the urban local bodies were sitting on approved amounts of up to Rs. 80 lakh released to each one of the taluks by the State government.
“We submit action plans of Rs. 60 lakh-Rs. 70 lakh, but officials are releasing Rs. 5 lakh. Why are they so lethargic and lazy?” Mr. Khuba wanted to know.
Nominated member Prakash Tonne said that residents of Bidar were also suffering from water scarcity. Every household in areas such as Shiva Nagar, Naubad and Pratap Nagar is forced to buy water.
“If this is the condition now, we can only imagine how bad it will be in the summer,” he said.
District in-charge Minister Umashree, who was chairing the meeting, asked officials to realise that drinking water scarcity was very serious and had to be tackled expeditiously.
Anurag Tewari, Deputy Commissioner, issued strict warnings to officials to complete all pending works and seek approval for planned works.
Any delay will attract strict action, he said.
