Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and others attending a high-level meeting of all district in-charge ministers, district in-charge secretaries, deputy commissioners and zilla panchayat CEOs held at the Vidhana Soudha conference hall on Thursday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday hinted that Karnataka must prepare for a deficit monsoon in all but five districts, not only ordering deputy commissioners of districts to take precautionary measures to avoid drinking water shortages but also making it clear that they will be held responsible for any shortage.
The chief minister issued the directive at a review meeting with district in-charge ministers, senior officials, deputy commissioners and CEOs of zilla panchayats held in Bengaluru.
He pointed out that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted sub-normal rainfall for the southwest monsoon, which is the mainstay of the state. While normal rainfall was expected to fall in August, he noted that rainfall deficit was expected in September.
More hot days
Stressing the need for a coordinated approach between the Ministries of Revenue, RDPR and Urban Development, the Chief Minister pointed out that most of the northern interior districts in the state are likely to experience above average number of heat days from April to June this year. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to issue necessary directions on preventive measures to be taken and also create awareness about the measures suggested by the IMD.
He urged the deputy commissioners to take all measures to resolve the situation. He said that sufficient funds are available to ensure adequate supply of drinking water. The Finance Department has already been directed to allocate funds to the districts for this purpose based on the reports of the Deputy Commissioners.
The most vulnerable
The Chief Minister said in the meeting that 213 taluks and 2,410 village panchayats have been identified which are at risk of drinking water shortage. Out of this, 598 village panchayats in 114 taluks were already facing shortage of drinking water. Arrangements have been made to supply drinking water through 129 tankers to 137 villages, while 585 private borewells have also been hired in the remaining villages facing shortage.
Similarly, 95 urban local bodies may face shortage of drinking water while 27 have already faced scarcity. A total of 145 wards were now getting drinking water through 57 tankers while 22 private borewells were hired for the purpose, the chief minister said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah urged officials to prioritize hiring private borewells to cope with the drinking water shortage, noting that tanker supplies should be used only when absolutely necessary. Authorities could also consider drilling new wells if needed, he said.
Tank levels
At present, the 14 leading reservoirs in the state have a total storage of 321.93 tmcft, which is 36% of their full storage capacity. In the same period last year, the situation was slightly better as the total stock in these reservoirs stood at 330.35 tmcft, he noted.
As the current stock is sufficient to meet the drinking water requirements of the state, the chief minister asked the authorities concerned to ensure that the water supply is reserved for drinking water needs by mid-July as the southwest monsoon is likely to start later this year. He directed the authorities concerned to prioritize drinking water needs over irrigation and to take measures to plug the leakage in the reservoirs.
RO units
Mr. Siddaramaiah directed officials to set up control rooms at the taluk and ward levels. Also, the district drinking water task force should function effectively and the taluk level task forces should meet and report the drinking water situation to the authorities, he said. He directed the officials to ensure that all public drinking water RO units are functioning efficiently with uninterrupted power connection. It is up to the DCs to prevent any contamination of drinking water, he added.
Published – 16 Apr 2026 20:20 IST
