Villages to face drinking water scarcity in Karimnagar

Except a few, almost all water bodies have dried up due to the drought as well as the non-lifting of water from the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.

Karimnagar: While standing crops in hundreds of acres have already withered due to lack of water, several villages in the district are likely to face a drinking water shortage in the coming days.

Except a few, almost all water bodies have dried up due to the drought as well as the non-lifting of water from the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project. Earlier, the Irrigation department used to lift water from the Kaleshwaram project and fill all water bodies including irrigation projects, tanks and ponds. Besides supplying water to standing crops, the water was utilized to fulfill the drinking water needs of the people in summer.

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The stored water would be supplied to the public through Mission Bhagiratha and other drinking water supply schemes in rural areas. As all water bodies have almost reached dead storage levels, officials feel supply of drinking water is going to turn a major concern in the coming days in villages.

Anticipating the drinking water scarcity, the State government has already appointed special officers to the district to take steps to overcome the problem. Director of Health and Family Welfare, RV Karnan, was appointed as special officer for the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

Karnan recently visited the district and conducted a review meeting with officials, asking them to take steps to overcome the drinking water scarcity. Rural Water Supply, Mission Bhagiratha, village special officers and panchayat secretaries have begun efforts to identify the problems in water supply.

In Karimnagar district, problems have been identified in the supply of drinking water in 21 villages including nine villages in Choppadandi mandal, six in Gangadhara mandal and six villages in other mandals. Anticipating the shortage, officials have taken up works with Rs.6.58 crore sanctioned to the district. Repair works of hand-pumps and motors have been taken up. Leakages in Mission Bhagiratha pipelines have also been rectified, they said.

Besides reviving defunct borewells, farmers’ borewells are also being used to draw drinking water.