The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Water shortage strikes animals

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Water shortage strikes animals

S. Harpal Singh

Humans as well as animals face hardships due to scarcity

’Large scale mining on river beds one of the major reasons for dwindling of water sources’
Besides the drying up of small streams, rivulets, natural water holes also devoid of water

— PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH

Parched landscape: A flock of sheep scout for water on a dry river bed that has been scrounged for sand in Jannaram mandal.

ADILABAD: There is an evident severity to the shortage of drinking water in Adilabad district this summer though the average ground water level is a shade better compared to that recorded last year. Humans as well as animals are faced with hardships due to the crisis-level shortages in rural and urban areas this season.

“There is a natural disadvantage in the hilly mandals of Adilabad like Narnoor, Sirpur (U) and some parts of Indervelli within the Deccan Trap areas.

The terrain does not let the water permeate and almost all the rain water runs away. Such mandals form stress areas in terms of availability of drinking water,” explains G. Kumaraswamy, the Deputy Director of Ground Water in Adilabad.

Work of the Rural Water Supply (RWS) department is hampered by the large number of vacancies of Assistant Executive Engineer posts at mandal level. The existing faulty sources at many places go unrepaired due to the shortage of staff.

Besides the drying up of small streams and rivulets, the natural water holes in the forests have also been reported as devoid of water this summer putting the domestic as well as wild animals under considerable stress.

“The large scale mining for sand on river beds is one of the major reasons for dwindling of water sources in forests and other places. About 200 lorry loads of sand is lifted every day from the Godavari and its off shoots in the region that has depleted water on surface and below it,” points out a Forest department official in Jannaram Forest Range.

Yellanna, Adilabad Joint Director of Animal Husbandry however, says animals are not faced with any water problem. “In any case we have called for reports from field staff across the district before we launch appropriate action,” he says.

The deaths of scores of dogs in Utnoor mandal head quarters and some sheep in the tribal villages nevertheless, tell a different story. The Animal Husbandry department is not geared up for easing the water problem for animals this year because of fund constraints.

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