Agriculture wells turn lifeline in tribal areas

Adivasis fetching water  from a well in Kakarboddi

The Agriculture wells have become a life saver for the people in the rural areas especially in tribal areas in the hot summer and in the wake of depleted groundwater table as they are only drinking water sources now quenching the thirst of the people, unlike borewells.

People are depending on the agriculture wells while a majority of the borewells dried up and were defunct.

Even RWS is getting water from the Agriculture wells and supplying to the people in some villages. There is a need to encourage digging of agriculture wells on a big scale to retain the rainwater and use them during summer.

The success rate of the Agriculture wells is high when compared to borewells and it evident with most of the Agriculture wells quenching the thirst of the people in interior areas.

There is still water in the wells in Pangidi village in Sirpur (U) even in the prevailing successive drought conditions and same within Kakarboddi village.

Most of Kolam, Gond Adivasi of and non-tribals of interior areas are collecting water in plastic and iron drums from the Agriculture wells while borewells serving no purpose.

Sarpanch of Pangidi Atram Jalimsha said Agriculture wells have become more useful than the borewells and observed the most of the borewells has gone dry much before the onset of the summer, unlike wells.

He said the indiscriminate digging of borewells is not serving any purpose without taking measures for rainwater harvesting.

Sidam Laxmi Bai of Kakarboddi said that “the entire village is depending on the agriculture well for drinking water and other purposes.”

In a recent survey, the ITDA, Utnoor has identified that still people are depending on streams and rivulets for drinking water in 133 villages in Tribal areas and there is severe drinking water problem in 28 out of total 52 mandals in the district.

The district received 818.01 mm rainfall this year against the district normal rainfall 1,157 mm and the groundwater table has gone down to -1.48 feet deep further when compared to corresponding period February of last year in the district.

Restoration works of tanks incomplete

Restoration works of only 10 percent tanks that comes to 67 out of total 607 have been fully completed taken up under first phase of Mission Kakatiya in the district. Restoration works of most of the tanks came to halt due to rains and contractors had not completed de-siltation works, strengthening of bund, slues works waiting for tanks receive rain water.

Contractors had submitted bills for the work which they have not done due to rains taking the advantage of the rain water in the tanks.

Government officials are not in a position to measure the works in the tanks filed with water and it was possible only after the water recedes in the next summer. At the most, officials can measures the bund works and slues works now.

The state government is taking up in completed works of earlier tanks in addition to the 600 new tanks in the second phase of mission kakatiya in the district. There are total 3,821 tanks and ponds have been identified in the districts.

Collector M. Jagan Mohan said only 10 percent of tanks out of total 607 for which got administration sanction under first phase of Mission Kakatiya have been fully completed and restoration works of majority tanks have been affected to rains in Asifabad and Adilabad divisions in the month of June,2015.

He said the incomplete tank work will be completed along with the 600 new tanks identified under second phase of Kakatiya whose works will begin from January, 2015.

Steps to prevent short circuit