Karnataka reels under severe drought conditions

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Bangalore, May 2: Karnataka is reeling under severe drought conditions due to failure of pre-monsoon showers and heat wave conditions prevailing in several parts of the state.

Adding to the woes of the people were shortage of drinking water and power shut-down in many parts of the rural areas.

The new millennium has been hard on the people of Karnataka, who have struggled due to paucity of rainfall in 2002, 2003 and 2004. It had adversely affected agriculture production in the state. Besides this it badly affected the farming community. Though during 2005-06 the rainfall had been satisfactory, the dark face of the drought has come back to haunt people in many parts of the state this year.

Besides Hyderabad-Karnataka regions, including the districts in Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Bijapur, Koppal and Bagalkot, where life was miserable in rural areas, the situation was not much different in river Cauvery basin districts of Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Mysore.

In Northern parts of the state it has been one of the worst summers with mercury hovering around 42 degree Celsius and people have been forced to stay indoors, leaving towns and villages deserted during the day time.

With ground water level depleted, following the failure of rain last year, there was shortage of drinking water as borewells had gone dry. The situation forced the people to resort to agitation in almost all affected villages for drawing the attention of the government to their plight.

In Bidar, womenfolk can be seen standing in queues and it had become a daily ordeal to fetch drinking water supplied by the authorities in tankers. In Raichur, the picture is not different. Though, in Bijapur, where drought situation is common during the summer, the situation is worsening day-by-day with groundwater level decreasing and borewells getting dried up. More than 83 villages has been identified as problematic villages in the district.

In the Cauvery basin districts of Mandya and Mysore, the situation is not only affecting the people, but also the wildlife in Bandipur and Nagarahole sanctuaries.

The authorities had set up Task Force to ensure the supply of drinking water in rural areas.

Mysore Deputy Commissioner S Selva Kumar said Rs three crore had been set apart for the purpose, besides sanctioning Rs 14 crore for other projects to handle the drought situation in Mysore district.

According to the Agriculture Department sources, farmers were facing severe drought situation as standing crops Ragi, Jewar and other semi-crops were withering due to failure of pre-monsoon rains.

However, showers in Southern parts of the state during the last two days has brought some respite to the people, who were suffering from heat wave condition.

Karnataka Home Minister M P Prakash, who is also chairperson of the cabinet sub-committee on drought conditions, informed that the state government had released Rs 273 crore to the district authorities to tackle the drinking water problem and drought condition.

The state government had banned the inter-state fodder transportation, while Goshalas (cattle camps) had been established at various places in Northern Karnataka. A Task Force committee headed by legislators concerned had been formed to monitor the drought relief works and provide employment to prevent migration.

UNI

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