Chikmagalur braces to tackle water crisis

CHIKMAGALUR: The district administration is preparing itself to provide drinking water to the parched areas of Kadur taluk, which is gripped by a severe shortage of drinking water.
Deputy commissioner S T Anjanakumar said the situation was not so alarming at present, but would aggravate after 20 days as summer would begin to seep in. The district administration has instructed the engineering division of the ZP to find private high-yielding borewells so that they could purchase water from private parties and supply it to other parts of the taluk if need arose.
Groundwater table has depleted in the district and hydro fracturing of existing borewells has also not resulted in much success in augmenting the water-yielding capacity of borewells.
While supplying drinking water through borewells for Kadur and Birur town is an option, it is not feasible for every village in the taluk. The district administration is therefore contemplating ways of refilling small village tanks through some permanent source of water, the deputy commissioner said and added that he plans to convene a meeting with officials and the constituency MLA. Drawing water from Bhadra dam to Birur and Kadur towns will take five months. Construction of intake well and jack well is done, while pipelines are still being laid. The KUWSSB has said that work would be completed by the end of May.