Haveri: PWD and district minister Satish Jarkiholi on Friday said Haveri district was not facing any serious drinking water shortage at present, but cautioned that difficulties could emerge if the rainfall deficit persisted in the coming days. He directed officials to begin preparations immediately to tackle any potential crisis.He was speaking at a review meeting of officials held at the zilla panchayat hall in Haveri to assess rainfall conditions and the drought situation in the district.Jarkiholi noted that water flow in the Varada river had increased and instructed officials to take measures to fill lakes and tanks. He also said there were problems across the state in disbursing crop insurance compensation and directed officials to ensure eligible farmers received relief without delay.MLA UB Banakar alleged that officials had been providing misleading information in meetings regarding the drinking water situation. He also warned that fertiliser demand could rise sharply if good rainfall was received and urged officials to make advance arrangements to ensure adequate supplies.Responding to the concern, Jarkiholi said drinking water management would become easier if every gram panchayat had its own tanker. Panchayats without tankers should gradually take steps to procure them, he added.MLA Prakash Koliwad said a plan had been prepared in 2022-23 to fill 30 tanks at a cost of Rs 104 crore, but the work remained incomplete. He sought an explanation from officials for the delay and urged the district minister to secure additional govt funding if required.MLA Yaseer Khan Pathan alleged that officials had failed to respond adequately despite a fire destroying crops worth over Rs 1 crore in Huralikuppi village of Savanur taluk.Deputy commissioner Vijaymahanthesh Danammanavar said crops belonging to 26 farmers were damaged in the incident. Initially, a single compensation proposal was submitted, but separate proposals were later filed for each farmer after it was learnt that individual claims would ensure higher relief. This resulted in some delay, he said.Jarkiholi also stressed the need for regular soil testing on farmers’ lands, advocated reducing the use of chemical urea and promoting organic farming. He noted rising interest in arecanut and horticulture crops in the district and called for the creation of new agricultural opportunities by exposing farmers to successful farming models.The minister directed irrigation officials to submit a detailed report on all feasible sites for constructing barrages on the Tungabhadra and Varada rivers. He also reviewed the progress of the Varada-Bedti river-linking project.Assembly speaker and Haveri MLA Rudrappa Lamani, zilla panchayat CEO Daljit Kumar, additional deputy commissioner Nagaraj, SP Yashoda Vantagodi and others were present.
