District In-charge Secretary chairs drought management meeting

Mysuru: District In-charge Secretary Dr. S. Selvakumar has directed officials to take all possible measures to ensure that no part of Mysuru district faces drinking water crisis in the wake of weak monsoon.

Chairing a drought management meeting at the D. Devaraj Urs Auditorium in Zilla Panchayat office in city yesterday, he asked officials to identify villages vulnerable to water scarcity and draw up contingency plans.

“Officials must ensure that no drinking water crisis arises due to monsoon deficit. They should identify the nearest water sources for vulnerable villages and, wherever necessary, source water from private borewells and deploy tankers to meet drinking water needs,” Selvakumar said.

Noting that the monsoon failure has severely affected sowing activities, raising fears of crop loss and reduced agricultural output, Dr. Selvakumar instructed the Agriculture Department to ensure adequate stocks of fertilisers and directed officials to make arrangements for supplying fodder to livestock.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Lakshmikanth Reddy said that the district has recorded a 45 percent rainfall deficit since January. He said 17 tmcft of water is available in the KRS Reservoir, 13 tmcft in the Kabini Reservoir and 21 tmcft in the Hemavathi Reservoir.

Drinking water is currently being supplied to 16 severely affected villages through private borewells and water tankers. Tankers have also been deployed in several areas coming under Rammanahalli Town Panchayat.

“There is sufficient water to meet the district’s drinking water requirements at present,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) S. Ukesh Kumar, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner M.K. Savitha and officials from various Departments attended the meeting.