Raichur: The district is currently facing extreme heat, leading to significant water shortage in many lakes. Sources from the DC’s office report that 65 villages are suffering from water scarcity.Residents in these villages are appealing to PDOs, taluk panchayat officers, and elected officials for a reliable water supply.Despite media attention, there are claims that officials are not adequately addressing the situation, resulting in public frustration with the authorities.Mallikarjun Uppar, an office bearer of a youth forum from Maski, noted, “Instead of addressing people’s concerns, officials have begun filing complaints against those who voice their grievances. This was evident in Benchamaradi village of Maski taluk, where officials responsible for resolving the village’s water issues filed complaints against residents who requested water.”Ranganath Police Patil, president of the State Farmers’ Association’s district unit, raised alarm about the drying up of the Krishna River. Additionally, the water level in the reservoir on the Tungabhadra River at Rajalabanda in Manvi taluk is also decreasing. Villages along the river are experiencing a shortage of drinking water. Even with canal-fed lakes, the inadequate water supply has heightened demand in many villages.According to sources from ZP, private tube well rentals are available in several taluks: 23 in Maski, 21 in Lingasugur, 12 in Raichur, and 9 in Devdurg. ADC Shivanand Bhajantri mentioned that as a precaution against insufficient rainfall, a total of 211 private borewells have been identified, including 54 in Devdurg, 14 in Lingasugur, 22 in Manvi, 72 in Raichur, 10 in Sindhanur, 23 in Maski, and 15 in Sirwara taluk.However, Ranganath Police Patil pointed out that half of the 270 lakes in the district have dried up. In Sindhanur taluk, there are 76 drinking water lakes, 42 in Sirawar, 22 in Maski, 14 in Raichur, 12 in Manvi, 5 in Devdurg, and 3 in Lingasugur, with nearly half of them being empty, and 14 lakes completely dry. However, ZP CEO Rahul Pandey assures that there is currently no need for water to be supplied via tankers in the district, with only a few villages relying on private tube wells for their water supply.The district has 704 reverse osmosis (RO) plants, but 165 are currently non-operational due to insufficient maintenance. In addition to planning for their repair, ZP officials have developed a strategy to address the potential water shortages expected in the next six months, along with a projected budget of Rs 6 crore. There are worries that the govt might delay the approval for this initiative, potentially causing it to be implemented after the summer season concludes.