Water tanks drying up in Kolar district

Kolar Gold Fields, August 5, DHNS:

Drought is not a stranger to Bangarpet taluk which receives adequate rain only once in three to four years. But there have been no measures to utilise the rainwater judiciously, including rainwater harvesting.

Tanks such as Kamasamudra, Vrishabhavathikere,  Mushtarahallikere, Ramasagarakere and Bethamangala reservoirs, built by yesteryear rulers have now been neglected completely.

If the situation continues, the taluk could be staring at regular drought, residents fear.
The Bethamangala reservoir was the lifeline of the taluk. The water released from the reservoir join the Ramasagarakere which irrigates thousands of acres of land.

But the tank has dried up now, thanks to the apathy of the officials and farmers.  Residents here feel say silt in the water bodies has not been removed for years, reducing its storage capacity. Surprising, since it has not been full, or in the official parlance, surplused for four years. As a result, KGF town and Bethamangala have been witnessing severe drinking water crisis.

According to statistics available, Although the taluk requires 12 lakh gallons of a water a day, a mere three to four lakh gallons is being supplied. Several protests have been held demanding drinking water, but to no avail, residents complain.

Silt shrinks storage capacity

In Srinivaspur, the parched tanks and ponds despite heavy rains in the taluk mirror the shrinking storage capacity of water bodies.

As many as 344 tanks in the taluk - 313 large and 31 medium-sized - irrigate 6,445 areas of land. However, majority of the tanks are bereft of water.

Silt accumulated over the years has shrunk the storage capacity of these age-old water bodies.

Paddy cultivation supported by tank water has become a rarity. A tank filled to the brim used to support at least two crops per year, decades ago. Water in the tanks augmented groundwater table also. Water could be struck at lower depths and rain water was efficiently being harvested.

However, the inflow to tanks has decreased considerably after ridges have been constructed encroaching the water-carrying canals. Silt deposit has increased with farming on tank beds.

Water reaching AP

Water could be found in the tanks in the northern parts of the taluk during rainy season while there will be no trace of it in tanks of southern parts. Poor maintenance of the tanks and the inlet canals also contributed for drying up.

As the storage capacity has shrunk, rain water is now feeding tanks in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. A few tanks have been getting copious flow of water after the repair of an inlet near Upparpalli.

However, the damaged bund of Balamma tank in the same village has resulted in flow of rain water to Andhra. The tank, if filled, can supply water to about ten villages in the vicinity. The fate of Alakere in Hakki Pikki Colony is no different.

While 259 tanks come under 25 Gram Panchayats, 43 belong to Minor Irrigation Department and the rest under Zilla Panchayat. A Rs 2.80-cr tender has been floated to take up renovation of 35 tanks under DPAP scheme of the Union government.

Desilting of selected tanks in each Gram Panchayat  is also in progress. Tank Development Clubs have taken up the responsibility. Water experts opine that ‘unscientific desilting’ would be of no use and emphasise on the need to check rampant encroachment.

Public opine that construction of tanks on the northern parts of the taluk could help in checking rain water from flowing to Andhra Pradesh.

Tanks ‘vanishing’

The state of tanks in Bangarpet taluk is no better. They continue to remain dry even after the entry of monsoon before the usual schedule.

There has been no instance of all the 367 tanks in the taluk filling up to the brim except in 1999 and 2005. The storage capacity of tanks has come down due to silt deposit and on other hand, the inflow too has been reduced as the inlet canals have been damaged.
Unabated encroachment too has added to the woes. The 10-acre area of the tank in Alambadi Jyotenahalli has been encroached by sinking four borewells and one open well.
Coconut saplings have been planted. The other tanks in the taluk too are not spared of encroachment. There are as many as 6,390 borewells in the tank eacg sunk at a cost of Rs two lakh and recharge of such borewells appears near impossible.

Of the total land area in the taluk, forests occupy five per cent, cultivable kharab land 10 per cent, uncultivable kharab land 8 per cent, gomalas (grazing land) occupy 10 per cent, trees and groves two per cent, amongst others. Any variation in collection of water in tanks will disturb this categorisation as well.

Member of Legislative Council Leela had sought information on encroachment of Karahali tank at the session.

But the officers of the Revenue Department have acted on the basis of survey conducted in 2003. The work of surveying and fencing tanks is not being conducted at regular intervals.

However, statement of legislator M Narayanaswamy that Zilla Panchayat has provided a grant of Rs five crore for rejuvenation of 63 tanks in the taluk has come as a ray of hope for the people.