Not just COVID-19 pandemic: Parts of Karnataka struggle for drinking water after dry pre-monsoon

Water

Most affected are districts of Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru and Kolar.

Soumya Chatterjee

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While most of the state machinery in Karnataka like in other places in the country is geared towards tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, some arid places in the state are having drinking water shortages amidst high temperatures. Sreenivas Reddy, Director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre said there is reason for worry in more than 200 villages which do not have any surface water source. Speaking with TNM, he said, “Generally, this is not the season to declare drought as this is still the pre-monsoon period. But we are seeing the impacts of drought already. We have nearly  300 affected villages spread across the state. So now these villages are being supplied water through water tankers or by acquiring private borewells.” Most of these villages are in Kolar, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur districts where water is mostly drawn from under the ground. Some of these villages are also from Raichur and Gulbarga districts, the official said.   He added, “The water is being supplied by two departments. If drought has already been declared. then the revenue department is providing water using state disaster relief funds; otherwise the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department will provide the service.”  However, the situation in towns and cities or places which get water through major irrigation projects have no shortage. In fact, all reservoirs and dams in the state have more water than last year on the same date. Reddy further said all the dam authorities have been instructed by the government to reserve drinking water for the two months till monsoon. Sunil M Gavaskar, Meteorologist at KSNDMC said that overall, the state has been hotter than usual. “Generally throughout March we have seen temperatures being 1-2 degre celsius higher than normal in parts of north interior Karnataka and coastal Karnataka. In Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Tumakuru we have seen the minimum temperatures have been above normal for a few days.” He added, “The outlook issued by the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) had said in April-May, the maximum temperatures are likely to be 0.5-1 degree celsius higher than normal.” 

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In Bengaluru, several good samaritans offer food to communities during lockdown

Coronavirus

While the government was slow to support migrant labourers and those affected by the shutting down of all food services, citizens of Bengaluru have pitched in.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The lockdown has left many people in urban areas with no food, especially those who live a hand to mouth existence, as their incomes have dried up. While governments were unprepared to support the people with a suddenly announced shutdown, several local residents in Bengaluru have stepped in and tried to make sure that no one is left hungry. There are people who are distributing rations to construction labourers, and collecting funds to distribute cooked food to those in need. And many people who have the funds have donated generously, say these good samaritans. Prabhakar, of Maarga, says that with the contributions he received, he was able to give out 2,800 packets of food every day, to homeless people, slum dwellers, and daily wage labourers. Prabhakar also says that they were able to buy groceries for 900 families, which is expected to last them a month. He added that hopefully, this would help them stay indoors effectively and be in quarantine. Brinda Adige, From Global Concerns India, says through the donations which were received, they were able to reach out to about 3,000 people, through distributing dry rations. She says that they will be working with Swiggy from Friday, to distribute cooked food to about 5,000 people every day, especially to those who are street vendors, slum dwellers, and others. Kishore, from an apartment complex near Hosur road, is leading an initiative to give out about 500 food packets to people on the move, such as delivery boys, homeless people, and others who are affected by the lockdown, which has cut off access to food to many people. Kishore says that about 65 families in the apartment complex are supporting the cause by donating. He says that he also got support from other local businesspersons, such as by providing two commercial size cylinders for free. Dasarathi, from Sadashivanagar, is an engineer with his own firm. With the pandemic introducing a large scale lockdown, he has tried to make a difference in his own locality. He made a recce of his locality and reached out to 90 construction workers and their children, living in under-construction houses, with no money or food. He asked them what they need, and tried to fulfil that need. He made a Facebook post putting together his learnings about how to help people out in such times, and the post has since gone viral. Embed https://ift.tt/2wPjORm “We put in our own money initially to buy them the rations they need, since they already have a facility to cook, but they have run out of money to buy groceries,” Dasarathi says. He says that his Facebook post has inspired others too, to follow suit. Dasarathi urges people to do the same in their own localities.  “Individuals must take responsibility for the people in their locality. There’s a huge gap between the help which is being given out and the need. Organisations can help a few thousand individuals but the problem is true for a few lakh individuals. We don’t have to give a lot: one person per week is for only about Rs 200. As middle class, privileged people, it is our duty to help those around us, who have nothing.” Read: Five ways to help underprivileged people affected by the lockdown in Bengaluru  

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'Communists and Congis boast of Kerala healthcare. Why come to Mangaluru?’: BJP Min

Coronavirus

However, several people criticised Karnataka Minister CT Ravi for being opportunistic and inhumane during a public health emergency.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court order directing the Central government to intervene and remove blockades erected on the national highways connecting Karnataka and Kerala for medical emergencies.  Politicians cutting across party lines opposed the Kerala High Court's April 1 order directing the Central government to intervene and allow movement of people for medical emergencies from border areas of Kerala to Mangaluru, which is 35 km away. The border was sealed due to the lockdown implemented over the outbreak of COVID-19. Five deaths were reported from Manjeswaram of Kasaragod district after Karnataka closed its borders. BJP leaders including Karnataka Tourism and Culture Minister CT Ravi took to social media to voice their opposition against the Kerala High Court's decision asking the Centre to open the state highways leading to Kasaragod district.   "Communists and Congis always boasted that Kerala has the best healthcare facilities in the country. Then, why is CM Pinarayi Vijayan trying to push coronavirus infected patients to Mangaluru? Should Karnataka suffer due to the lack of vision and incompetence of Kerala's leaders?," CT Ravi said in a social media post. Communists and CONgis always boasted that Kerala has the best healthcare facilities in the country. Then, why is CM @vijayanpinarayi trying to push #CoronaVirus infected patients to Mangaluru? Should Karnataka suffer due to the lack of vision & incompetence of Kerala's leaders? — C T Ravi ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) April 2, 2020 BJP leaders taunted Kerala's famed healthcare facilities in social media posts.  "One of the basic facility for citizens is health care and people of Kasargod rely on Mangalore for it. What kind of development is yours then which you boast. No,we will not allow Borders to open what so ever," Mangaluru (South) BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath said. One of the Basic Facility for citizens is Health care and people of Kasargod rely on Mangalore for it. @vijayanpinarayi What kind of development is your's then which u boast. No,we will not allow Borders to open what so ever. #SaveKarnatakaFromPinarayI #savekarnataka — Vedavyas Kamath (@vedavyasbjp) April 2, 2020 Congress leader Mithun Rai, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha Elections from Dakshina Kannada constituency in 2019, filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court's order of April 1. "This is not done as people in Karnataka as well as in Kerala are very much aware of the facts that the pandemic has been getting spread through the people traveling from Kerala to Karnataka through Mangalore. Then why are we interested in digging our own graves!," he said. At least seven people have died from Manjeswaram of Kasaragod district after Karnataka closed its borders amid the lockdown. Residents in Manjeswaram travel to Mangaluru as its hospitals are just 15 kilometres away as opposed to hospitals in Kerala, where they have to travel 45 kilometres by road.  Read: After Karnataka lockdown, Kerala patients on state border struggle to get treatment The decision to block the movement of people, even in case of medical emergencies, was taken last week after Dakshina Kannada district authorities decided to impose stringent lockdown measures. The move came after a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Kasaragod district of Kerala which neighbors Dakshina Kannada. However, Karnataka’s blockade was opposed by politicians including former Indian Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah, two key opposition leaders in the state. "Critical and essential travel from Kasaragod to Mangaluru should be allowed on humanitarian grounds. Patients from Kerala seeking medical assistance in Karnataka can be allowed with adequate precautionary measures. Our fight against Corona is beyond caste, religion and boundary.," Siddaramaiah said.  Critical & essential travel from Kasaragod to Mangaluru should be allowed on humanitarian grounds. Patients from Kerala seeking medical assistance in Karnataka can be allowed with adequate precautionary measures. Our fight against Corona is beyond caste, religion & boundary. — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 1, 2020 HD Deve Gowda, in a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, condemned the Karnataka government's decision to block the border. "I very strongly condemn the actions of the BJP government in Karnataka denying access to people from Kerala state to avail medical facilities on emergency and also the movement of essential goods for the survival of people and the deprivation of emergency services amounts to violation of human rights and opposed to all norms of humanity and humanitarian considerations," Deve Gowda said in a letter. Several others also slammed Karnataka Minister CT Ravi for his political opportunism and for being inhumane during a public emergency.  you have been MLA of Chikmagluru for many years, why Chikmagalur residents come to Manipal and mangaluru. — ಗೌತಮ್ ಹೆಗ್ಡೆ (@karavallihuduga) April 2, 2020 Anna aware, why every damn thing opportunism for politicians?. Mangalore has got the best medical facilities throughout the costal belt & be proud of it. People across border states shares the value & travel to nearest best facilities. Mansharu jeevana nimde aradu aata alla. — The Cat Guy (@TweetsOfMerlin) April 2, 2020 it's not COVID patients, The state of Kerala has some effective and efficient public health care system no doubt in that The problem is that the district has low no of the hospital so it might be easy to transfer patient to nearer hospital in KARNATAKA than to interior KL — Chowkidar dasan (@Akhil10394) April 2, 2020 It's time we stop politicising this. And instead give enough space for District administration of the two districts to coordinate closely to sort it out. This is a pandemic. — Pearl Dsouza (@pearl_tnie) April 2, 2020 Kerala CM @vijayanpinarayi has been pleading with @PMOIndia @narendramodi that the Karnataka border should be opened to allow the flow of essential goods. What is the idea behind choking of supplies of essential goods including food and medicine from reaching people? Heartless. https://t.co/Nzxm9JeNMm — Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) March 29, 2020

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