Take steps to provide adequate drinking water to all villages, Belagavi officers told

Belagavi district in-charge secretary urges officers to take steps to ensure adequate water supply to all villages; Rs 22.5 crore released for drought relief works; 4,000 fodder kits distributed; 78% rainfall scarcity, 38% crop coverage; recent rainfall may save standing crop.

District in-charge secretary Anjum Parvez has asked all officers to take steps to ensure adequate water supply to all villages and habitations in Belagavi district.

At a meeting of officers here on Wednesday, the secretary said that officers at the district, taluk and village levels have to take the situation seriously as the government has declared all 15 taluks in the district as drought-hit.

He warned that the officials concerned will be held responsible for water scarcity in particular taluks or villages.

There is still time before the situation gets aggravated. The officers should prepare a detailed plan to handle water scarcity. Each village and town should be treated as important and the plans should include all of them. Water supply works should be included in MGNREGA Scheme. Each eligible labour should be given work under MGNREGA. Their wages should be released regularly. This will help reduce subsistence migration, he said.

He asked urban development officers to speed up the implementation of the round-the-clock water supply scheme in Belagavi city. All open wells and borewells in Belagavi city should be inspected. All sources with potable water should be utilised. All water sources should be numbered and documented. Their water quality should be tested. Those needing repairs should be attended to, Mr. Parvez said.

Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil said that the State government has released ₹22.5 crore for drought relief works. However, digging of new borewells using these funds is not allowed, he said. Farmers will get a total of 17,000 fodder kits. Of these, only 4,000 kits have been received till now. They will be given to farmers having animals, he added.

Joint Director of Agriculture Shivanagouda Patil said that the district has suffered a rainfall scarcity of 78% and crop coverage has been only 38%. The recent spell of rain could save standing crops but they will not help in new sowing, he said.