Rayalaseema region in the grip of heatwave, water scarcity
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress State president D.K. Shivakumar has appealed to the Election Commission to direct the Union government to release ₹4,663 crore from National Disaster Response Fund and additional support fund of ₹18,171 crore to the State to meet the severe drought situation.
In a letter to the poll panel in his capacity as the Congress State president, he pointed out that 224 out of 236 taluks are reeling under drought.
Citing the recent statement of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at a press conference in Bengaluru, Mr. Shivakumar said she stated that the Union government had written to the Election Commission on March 28 seeking permission to hold a meeting of the highpower committee to clear several proposals for disaster relief, including drought relief for Karnataka.
“In her said statement she categorically conceded a delay in releasing drought relief by giving a reason that the Election Commission has not permitted to hold a meeting of the highpower committee...,” he said. He said the Centre has wrongly contended that the EC has to permit a meeting of the highpower committee to clear drought relief funds to Karnataka, which is not required in the eyes of law.
“We appeal to your esteemed commission to direct the Centre to hold the meeting of the highpower panel immediately and to release funds,” he said.
Even as a heatwave of unprecedented scale is sweeping Andhra Pradesh, water scarcity appears to be the next worst thing to happen to the Rayalaseema region, comprising the southern districts.
With the mercury level hovering around 43 degrees Celsius in the first week of April, the residents are already scared of what May will feel like. Notwithstanding the allpervasive election mood, the sunbaked roads wear a deserted look from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. in almost all the towns and villages. A curfewlike atmosphere witnessed around noon tells the remaining story.
While many municipalities are supplying water on a daily basis, some like Adoni, Bethamcherla, Bad
Most of the 25 districts in Andhra Pradesh are likely to face a droughtlike situation in the coming days, say District Collectors.
vel, Pulivendula, Chittoor, Dharmavaram, Dhone, Gooty, Gudur (Kurnool), Guntakal, Kadiri, Kamalapuram, Kuppam, Madanapalle, Nandyal, Punganur, Puttur, Rayachoti, Rayadurg, Tadipatri, Tirupati and Yerraguntla are supplying it on alternate days.
The worsthit at the start of April are Kadapa, Pala
maner, Penukonda and Hindupur, where water is supplied once in three days. Most of the ULBs have already started supplying water through tankers to supplement the availability through household taps.
The situation has worsened in most towns due to the alleged neglect in addressing the drinking water problem on a longterm basis. The situation is a ‘neverbefore’ sort of tale in many districts.
‘No concerted efforts’ For example, Mydukur town is surrounded by Penna and Kundu rivers, as well as the KurnoolCuddapah and TeluguGanga canals, but the residents still suffer due to lack of concerted efforts to channelise the water to the town.
The Pulivendula municipality, with a population of 70,000, supplies water on alternate days. “We have a summer storage tank at Parnapalli with a holding capacity of 0.5 tmc ft, from which we supply water through a 15kmlong pipeline to the town,” Municipal Chairman Vallepu Varaprasad told The Hindu. He appealed to the public to use the water judiciously in order not to suffer for the next six months.
SPSR Nellore Collector M. Hari Narayanan has also said there is no water shortage in the municipalities in the district. The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) draws water from Telugu Ganga (Kailasagiri reservoir), the Kalyani dam, 388 power borewells and 226 hand pumps. MCT Commissioner Aditi Singh has informed the Tirupati District Collector that water in Kailasagiri and the
We have a storage tank at Parnapalli with a capacity of 0.5 tmc ft, from which we supply water to the town
Pulivendula municipality Chairman
Highlevel meet
At a highlevel meeting chaired by Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy in Amaravati recently to review the drinking water scarcity, the District Collectors and other officials made it clear that water supply for some towns will not last beyond April 15, and many will face a grave situation by April end.
At least 17 of the 25 districts are likely to face a severe droughtlike situation in the coming days, as per the reports submitted by the District Collectors to the Department of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development. Top priority has been accorded to augmenting water supply through tankers in 388 mandals declared as ‘drought hit’.