Water crisis looms large on kadapa dist

Kadapa: A severe water crisis is looming large over Kadapa district as ground water levels are fast depleting. The crisis might spread to several villages in Kadapa district due to scanty rainfall this season. The district officials are pondering how could they tackle the crisis in the ensuing summer.

According to official figures, 47 per cent deficit rainfal was recorded till November 25 this year when compared to that of last year. As a result, the ground water level dropped by 21.7 metres and about 157 villages might be affected due to severe water crisis.

Chintakommadinne, Gaalilveedu, Ramapuram and Chinnakottapalli of Vemula mandal and Ganugapenta in Porumamilla mandal, the ground water level dropped by 25 metres. As a result, the people here are facing immense hardships as there is no water in sufficient quantities.

The magnitude of the water crisis can be gauged from the fact that water is being supplied in the villages in tankers by the Rural Water Supply Department officials even during the rainy season in as many as 157 villages spending crores of rupees. Moreover, in Gaaliveedu, Lakkireddypalli, Ramapuram, Rayachoti, Sambepalli and Chinnamandem mandals of Raichoti constituency and Veeraballi, Sundupalle, Rajampeta, Ontimitta and Siddavatam mandals in Rajampet constituency are declared drought hit. In several mandals of Kamalapuram and Pulivendula constituencies, there is an acute water crisis. The RWS officials are trying hard to tide over the water crisis which might hit the district next summer.

In this connection, an action plan was formulated to implement the Central Water Supply Scheme at a cost of Rs 150 crore. As part of this programme, the water supply scheme was taken up at a cost of Rs 84 crore to pump water from Rollamadugu village in Lakkiredddypalli mandal. Till now, Rs 40 crore was spent in completing works relating to phase 1 and phase 2. If this scheme was completed, several villages in Lakireddypally, Ramapuram and Veeraballi mandals could tide over the water crisis.

Similarly, efforts are on to implement the Central Water Supply Scheme with Rs 17 crore in Pullampet mandal, Rs 5 crore scheme from the Velugilla Project in Galiveedu mandal, Rs 47 crore scheme in Chinnamandem mandal.

Speaking to The Hans India, villagers Ramachandraiah, Bashirunnisa and Razia said that people in the remote villages were deprived of water and the traders were trying to exploit the situation by selling mineral water bottles at a high price. They urged the government to resolve their problem at the earliest.

By: PP Nagaraju