Rayalaseema region staring at severe drought

Water scarcity in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh worsens as heatwave intensifies, towns facing severe drought-like situation.

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.

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.