Kalaburagi: The Kalaburagi district administration is getting ready to face drinking water problems during summer months in the district.Deputy commissioner Fauzia Tarannum has instructed officials to take necessary precautions regarding drinking water, cattle fodder, and heat waves in the district.She told TOI that she conducted a meeting of all district and taluk-level officers through a video conference. She said that in Kalaburagi district, from Jan to Dec 2025, 770mm of rain was expected, but received excess 1,068mm of rain, which was 39% more. However, from Jan to Feb 11, 2026, normal rain of 6.1mm was expected, but no rain has been reported so far, which is a matter of concern, she said.She obtained information from the officials about the water currently available in Kalaburagi district from drinking water sources such as Bennitora, Bhima, Chandrampalli, Gandorinala, and other places and lakes, and discussed the steps that can be taken to solve the drinking water problems that may arise in the future.A total of 4 tmcft of water is required for drinking, including for people and livestock, in the rural and urban areas of the district during the forthcoming summer season. She said she instructed the Irrigation Advisory Committee to reserve the said 4 tmcft of water.With more than 170 villages facing a shortage of drinking water during summer, she suggested that appropriate precautionary measures should be taken now to provide water to the public, using available water sources such as borewells and open wells, new borewells, and tankers, including private owners’ wells and open wells.As of now, none of the taluks of the district have been declared drought-prone, so there is no opportunity to utilise the SDRF grants for supplying water through tankers this year. Therefore, the cost of private borewells or open wells and tanker transportation for drinking water in any taluk of the district shall be met from the grant available under the 15th Financial Plan of the Gram Panchayat.
