Central team reviews Mandya drought situation

CH NEWS, Mandya A Central Drought Study Team gathered information from officials on the rainfall deficit, impact on agriculture, drinking water availability and reservoir storage levels in Mandya district. The team, comprising Sudham Baig, Ashish Pandey, Pradeep Kumar and Karan Chaudhary, held a meeting with officials at Cauvery Hall in KRS. District Records 44 Per Cent Rainfall Deficit Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumar said the district had received 173 mm of rainfall so far, against the normal 360 mm during the Southwest Monsoon, resulting in a 44 per cent deficit. He said rainfall was also below normal during March, April and May. An analysis of rainfall records from the past 20 years showed that the current year was among the driest years for the district, affecting agriculture and crops across most areas. Drinking Water Given Top Priority Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited Managing Director Mahesh said the Cauvery basin covers about 18.85 lakh acres and is important for agriculture as well as drinking water projects in Bengaluru, Mandya and Mysuru. He said available water must be managed carefully over the next eight months. With crops already affected and reservoir storage low, drinking water should receive top priority. He said water for agriculture would be supplied based on availability and resources should be used scientifically and carefully. 289 Villages May Face Water Shortage Zilla Panchayat CEO K.R. Nandini said 289 villages had been identified as likely to face drinking water shortages because of low rainfall and falling groundwater levels. The situation is currently acute in about 29 to 30 villages. Emergency measures include renting private borewells, deepening existing borewells, re-drilling and flushing. Such works have already been carried out at more than 56 locations. The Central team collected details on rainfall, agriculture, crops, drinking water and reservoir storage from officials.