‘Ensure there is no drinking water scarcity in Chamarajanagar during summer’

Chamarajanagar Minister ensures water supply, reviews development programs, transportation, and agricultural department functioning in the district.

Chamarajanagar district in-charge Minister K. Venkatesh directed the local authorities to ensure that there was no drinking water scarcity in any part of the district during summer.

He was chairing the Karnataka Development Programme review meeting in Chamarajanagar on Tuesday. Steps should be taken to mitigate the hardship in case there are indications of an imminent water crisis, he added.

Mr. Venkatesh said officials should map villages where water scarcity could arise and take precautionary measures accordingly. They were told to identify alternative water sources to ensure an uninterrupted supply to the people and cattle in rural areas.

The Minister said the role of panchayat development officers was important to mitigate public hardship during summer and instructed them to remain in their respective headquarters and ensure that the villages did not suffer from water scarcity.

Calling for augmenting water storage, the Minister drew attention to potential leakage and diversion near water sources and said it should be prevented. There was also a review of the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission being implemented to ensure piped water supply to the villages.

MLA A.R. Krishnamurthy drew attention to broken pipes resulting in water leakage and called for repairs. Officials were also told to stock adequate fodder for cattle.

There was a review of the agricultural department, and the officials were instructed to ensure there was no shortage of seeds and fertilisers anywhere in the district. Farmers should be in a position to take up sowing once the rains commence, the Minister said.