Rayalaseema region staring at severe drought

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The worst hit at the start of April are Kadapa, Palamaner, Penukonda and Hindupur, where water is being supplied once in three days

Even as a heatwave of unprecedented scale is sweeping the State, water scarcity appears to be the next worst thing to happen to the Rayalaseema region, comprising the southern districts of Andhra Pradesh.

With the mercury level hovering around 43 degrees Celsius in the first week of April, the residents are already scared of what May will feel like. Notwithstanding the all-pervasive election mood, the sun-baked roads wear a deserted look from 11 am till 4 pm in almost all the towns and villages. A curfew-like atmosphere witnessed around noon tells the remaining story.

While many municipalities are supplying water on a daily basis, some like Adoni, Bethamcherla, Badvel, Pulivendula, Chittoor, Dharmavaram, Dhone, Gooty, Gudur (Kurnool), Guntakal, Kadiri, Kamalapuram, Kuppam, Madanapalle, Nandyal, Punganur, Puttur, Rayachoti, Rayadurg, Tadipatri, Tirupati and Yerraguntla are supplying it on alternate days.

The worst hit at the start of April are Kadapa, Palamaner, Penukonda and Hindupur, where water is supplied once in three days. Most of the ULBs have already started supplying water through tankers to supplement the availability through household taps.

Lack of long-term planning

The situation has worsened in most towns due to the alleged neglect in addressing the drinking water problem on a long-term basis. The situation is a ‘never-before’ sort of tale in many districts.

For example, Mydukur town is surrounded by Penna and Kundu rivers, Kurnool Cuddapah (KC) canal and Telugu Ganga canal on all its sides, but the residents still suffer due to lack of concerted efforts to channelise the water for the town.

Pulivendula municipality having 70,000 population supplies water on alternate days. “We have a summer storage tank at Parnapalli with a holding capacity of 0.5 TMC, from which we supply water through a 15-km-long pipeline to the town,” Municipal Chairman Vallepu Varaprasad told The Hindu. He appealed to the public to use the water judiciously in order not to suffer for the next six months.

Similarly, SPSR Nellore Collector M. Hari Narayanan has also stated that there is no water shortage in the municipalities in the district.

Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) draws water from Telugu Ganga (Kailasagiri reservoir), the Kalyani dam, 388 power bore wells and 226 hand pumps. MCT Commissioner Aditi Singh has represented to the Tirupati district Collector that water in Kailasagiri and the Kalyani dam may touch the dead storage level sooner than expected.

High-level meet

At a high-level meeting to review the drinking water scarcity held in Amaravati recently, with the Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy in the chair, it was amply made clear that water supply for some towns will not last beyond April 15, and many will face a grave situation by April end.

At least 17 of the 25 districts in the State are likely to face a severe drought-like situation in the coming days, as per the reports submitted by the district Collectors to the Department of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development. Top priority has been accorded to augmenting water supply through tankers in 388 mandals declared as ‘drought hit’.

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An uphill struggle for drinking water in Vijayawada

Families who have made the Christurajapuram hillock their home because of high rental prices in the city face immense difficulties in the summer as water supply dwindles to a minimum

For the people living in the hilly area near RCM Church in Christurajapuram of Vijayawada, falling under the East Assembly Constituency, summer is an agonising time. From March-end to June, they have to deal with not only the scorching heat, but also irregular supply of water.

While the town planning section of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is yet to conduct a population survey atop the hill, locals say the more than 3,000 families reside there.

While well-to-do families occupy the lower part of the hill close to the road, the upper areas are mostly populated by daily wagers, who cannot afford to rent a house downhill in the city, where prices are astronomical, according to real estate agents.

Residents are aware that though living atop the hill is affordable, it still comes at a price.

“We did not come to live here willingly, but where else do we go? This is where we can have a house of our own, and we can live without the fear of being asked to vacate,” says Yesu, a lorry driver.

However, as the terrain is sloping, the houses located in the upper part of the hill get inadequate water supply during the summer. “We have only two main demands from our elected representatives — getting water on an everyday basis, and having proper streetlights in place,” said Mr. Yesu, whose residence, along with 70 other houses, has always had patchy water supply.

Most of the dwellers here belong to the Madiga community. They work menial jobs that keep them away from home for most of the day. The responsibility of filling the 200-litre drums then falls on their children, who have only half an hour to do so, from 5.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Should they slack off and forget to fill up the drums, they will have to go without water for the next 24 hours. The water is used not just for drinking but also for other household needs.

In summers, the situation takes a turn for the worse, with water supply coming once in three or even four days.

“As it is, the water supply is only for half an hour, which is hardly enough. All of us start filling our containers at the same time, which greatly reduces water pressure, bringing down the flow to a slow trickle. The irregular supply in the past week has only added to our woes,” says Kumari, who runs a soda stall in Moghalrajpuram.

TDP-JSP-BJP candidate for the Vijayawada East Assembly constituency, Gadde Rammohan Rao, who enjoys a strong base in the area, has assured the residents atop the hillock that he would take steps to ensure a tap connection to every house and daily water supply if he is elected as MLA in the coming elections.

When asked about the general water scarcity in the city and particularly in this area, VMC officials said there is no crisis as of now. “There was an interconnection work going on. Supply should be restored by Tuesday in the hilly areas of Christrajapuram,” VMC Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said.