This story is from May 16, 2019

Hubballi-Dharwad gets water once in 12 days

With all five taluks in the district being declared drought-hit, the Hubballi-Dharwad district administration is fighting massive odds to ensure the crisis does not escalate, resulting in water being supplied only once in 12 days.
Hubballi-Dharwad gets water once in 12 days
EXTREME MEASURES: Residents of Mrutyunjay Nagar, Dharwad, block a road in protest recently against irregular supply of water
DHARWAD: With all five taluks in the district being declared drought-hit, the Hubballi-Dharwad district administration is fighting massive odds to ensure the crisis does not escalate, resulting in water being supplied only once in 12 days.
Although top political leaders across parties have been virtually camping in the district in the run up to the Kundgol assembly seat byelection, the water scarcity problem has flown under the radar.
The situation is no different in Navalgund and Hubballi taluks.
Dharwad district relies heavily on the Malaprabha reservoir, about 35km away in Savadatti, Belagavi district, for its supply of water. Earlier, Hubballi had the Neerasagar lake in Dhummavad to bank on, but the lake has run dry and now Hubballi too depends on the Malaprabha.
Villages in Navalgund taluk gets its water through the Malaprabha Right Bank Canal, but the very thought of the canal running dry is frightening. Already, Shirur, Hirenarti, Basapaur, Benaganahalli, Gudenatti and Allapur villages are facing an acute shortage of drinking water.
The district administration is recharging borewells and where possible, private borewells have been hired. However, borewell water in the region is hard and units have been able to purify it to about 75%.
“It is difficult to drink. Even cattle refuse to drink this water,” said Mallamma of Shirur village in Kundgol. The tank in Shirur which supplied drinking water to 32 villages has had no water in it for the past four years and people have to trek 6km to Kundgol to fetch water. “Since there is no work in the fields, the job of male members in the family is to carry water from Kundgol in shifts,” said Basavanagouda of Shirur.

Kalaghatagi town used to depend on the Benachi tank and Alnavar town on the Dougi Nala, but both sources have run dry. The towns are now supplied water from borewells once in 12 days.
There are more than 2,000 borewells in Dharwad district, but the depletion in the water table has made things difficult. Previously, water was available at 300ft, but now, one has to drill at least 600 feet to strike water. Officials in the department of mines and geology say the level has fallen 9.2 metres — a massive drop.
With water bodies drying up, it has become difficult to provide drinking water for cattle. There is also a shortage of fodder and many farmers are selling off their cattle to make ends meet.
Crop loss
The district has recorded a 64% shortfall in rain, leading to extensive crop loss. During the rabi season, 1.6 lakh hectares were cultivated, but crops on 1.2 lakh hectares have been lost, resulting in the government declaring the entire district drought-hit. Despite the implementation of MGNREGS, several people are migrating to neighbouring Goa and Maharashtra, seeking employment.
Relief measures
However, deputy commissioner Deepa Cholan insisted the situation is under control and that the administration would supply drinking water in tankers if the need arises.
“There is no shortage of drinking water in rural areas,” Deepa said. “Anticipating a shortage in Navalgund, Kundgol and Hubballi taluks, we have drawn water from Naviluteertha dam. So there is sufficient water in the Malaprabha Right Bank Canal till the beginning of the monsoon.”
The DC said the administration is evaluating the severity of the problem in some villages and is deepening and flushing borewells, some of which have been deepened to up to 360ft from 220ft, thereby increasing the yield.
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