Karnataka

Bangalore faces acute water shortage..

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Bangalore is facing one of its worst water crisis ever. The city’s primary source, the KRS Dam, has water supply for just two more weeks. But ironically those living near the dam have been waterless for days now.

It’s been a tough summer for Sudha Bose. The taps at home have been running dry, she has been struggling to cook, wash or clean. The family has been buying water from private tankers for the past six months. They tried digging a bore well, but with ground water levels at an all time low, it was just money wasted.

Residents across Bangalore and Mysore are facing acute water shortage with little faith in the government’s ability to handle the crisis. “The government is promising it will sort the water crisis in 20 days, one month and now again there is a new government, they are saying they will solve it in 15 days, so we will wait and see,” Sudha said.

Bangalore is facing one of its worst water crisis ever. The city’s primary source, the KRS Dam, has water supply for just two more weeks. But ironically those living near the dam have been waterless for days now.

It’s been a tough summer for Sudha Bose. The taps at home have been running dry, she has been struggling to cook, wash or clean. The family has been buying water from private tankers for the past six months. They tried digging a bore well, but with ground water levels at an all time low, it was just money wasted.

Residents across Bangalore and Mysore are facing acute water shortage with little faith in the government’s ability to handle the crisis. “The government is promising it will sort the water crisis in 20 days, one month and now again there is a new government, they are saying they will solve it in 15 days, so we will wait and see,” Sudha said.

It’s not just the residents of Bangalore and Mysore who are suffering from a water crisis. Farmers who live just 10 kilometre from the KRS Dam are unable to grow their crops because of shortage of water.

The KRS Dam, primary source of water for Mysore and Bangalore, is drying up. Dry patches dot the landscape, water levels are just four feet above the dead storage level. At farms just 10 km from the KRS Dam, lack of water has been forcing farmers to burn their sugarcane crop.

Ground water has been dwindling, and there is tension over water being diverted to the cities. Chandrashekhar, a farmer in the Pandavapura Village, said, “It’s unfair that water is being diverted to the cities, our crops too need water, but the government is more concerned about people who live in cities.”

But the state government maintains that necessary steps are being taken. Karnataka Law Minister TB Jayachandra said, “The drinking water problem is there in rural areas and urban areas and the chief minister, he’s taken the stock of the situation in the entire state. He has already directed the finance secretary and the revenue secretary to release adequate money to meet the demand and needs.”

The grim reality is that if the monsoon is weak and doesn’t replenish ground water or dams like KRS in the catchment areas, the water crisis could spread to all of Karnataka.

It’s not just the residents of Bangalore and Mysore who are suffering from a water crisis. Farmers who live just 10 kilometre from the KRS Dam are unable to grow their crops because of shortage of water.

The KRS Dam, primary source of water for Mysore and Bangalore, is drying up. Dry patches dot the landscape, water levels are just four feet above the dead storage level. At farms just 10 km from the KRS Dam, lack of water has been forcing farmers to burn their sugarcane crop.

Ground water has been dwindling, and there is tension over water being diverted to the cities. Chandrashekhar, a farmer in the Pandavapura Village, said, “It’s unfair that water is being diverted to the cities, our crops too need water, but the government is more concerned about people who live in cities.”

But the state government maintains that necessary steps are being taken. Karnataka Law Minister TB Jayachandra said, “The drinking water problem is there in rural areas and urban areas and the chief minister, he’s taken the stock of the situation in the entire state. He has already directed the finance secretary and the revenue secretary to release adequate money to meet the demand and needs.”

The grim reality is that if the monsoon is weak and doesn’t replenish ground water or dams like KRS in the catchment areas, the water crisis could spread to all of Karnataka.

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