Mysuru ZP identifies 93 drought vulnerable villages

Mysuru: Mysuru zilla panchayat has identified 93 villages as drought-vulnerable during this summer. Directions were given to officials to ease drinking water shortages, be ready with contingency plans to tackle drought, take preventive measures, ease fodder supply, and handle emergency situations.The rural drinking water supply and sanitation division of zilla panchayat has prepared the tentative list of 93 villages likely to face drinking water issues during summer months.Among 93 villages, the highest number of 18 villages was identified in Periyapatna taluk, followed by T Narasipura taluk (16), Mysuru (13), H D Kote (12), Nanjangud (11), Saligrama (10), K R Nagar (7), Hunsur (4), and Saragur (2).Last year, the rural drinking water supply identified 103 villages, but this year it listed 93 villages after collecting the reports from 256 gram panchayat limits in all the nine taluks in Mysuru district.Currently, the rural drinking water supply division supplies drinking water to these villages under multi-village drinking water schemes. If the drinking water situation worsens because of depletion of groundwater level, failure of pre-monsoon showers, or other reasons in coming months, the ZP gave directions to all taluk panchayat executive officers and tahsildars to hire private borewells near these villages and private tankers to tackle the drinking water crisis if it hits these villages.Apart from these, the district administration has also readied itself to tackle the drinking water crisis in the forthcoming summer months in the limits of Mysuru City Corporation, three city municipal councils, each five TMCs and town panchayat limits of Mysuru district.The current water level of Kabini reservoir stands at 2,268.1 ft against 2,284 feet, and the water level in Krishnarajasagar reservoir stood at 110 feet against the maximum 1,24.8 ft. These are the two main water resources of Mysuru district. Officials in Cauvery Neeravari Nigam said that they can ensure drinking water till the end of June with the available water storage in these two reservoirs.ZP rural drinking water supply and sanitation wing executive engineer Ramaswamy said that currently there are no drinking water problems in any of its villages in the district. ZP has prepared the list of 93 drought-prone villages where drinking water is likely to worsen in coming months, and is prepared with all measures to tackle the drinking water situation.Directions were also given to all its panchayat development officers to test the drinking water quality in all its villages on a daily basis and release the drinking water ensuring its safety.Speaking to TOI, CEO of zilla panchayat S Ukesh Kumar said he gave directions to all its officers to give utmost priority to tackling the drinking water crisis that arises during the summer season, besides resolving the issue of damaged drinking water pipelines and other water disruption issues after conducting a meeting with them. Villages like Hadidanur Mole, Biligere, and Kupparavalli were facing issues of drinking water crisis in CMs constituency, but they are all resolved now.