Historical

The district has close to 4,000 tanks, the largest number in the State. Most of the tanks were built by the Chola, Ganga and Vijayanagara kings or their satraps. Quite a few were built by local chieftains and are marvels of hydro engineering. Without the help of modern technology or instruments, and using indigenous knowledge, engineers of centuries ago built the tanks across natural channels carrying rain water, in order to store each precious drop.

Built hundreds of years ago, they stand proud, although neglect by communities and authorities have rendered them incapable of collecting as much water as before. The Devarayasamudra tank, barely a kilometre off Bangalore-Chennai NH-4, was built by a chieftain named Pedda Nayani in 1302. No tanks have been built at least in the last 100 years anywhere in the district.

But these wonderful gifts bequeathed by the ancestors have been misused, misutilised, mismanaged and even deliberately destroyed through poor maintenance, deliberate encroachment and of late by sand mining, cultivation in the tank bed and even pumping sub-surface water out of the river bed.

Main channels of most of the water bodies have been encroached by buildings such as residences, commercial buildings, petrol bunks or the even government buildings.

Worse, even the tank bed is encroached, like in the case of the Kolaramma Kere here, which is also known as Amanikere. Surrounded by three tanks, the city should not have any water problem, but like Kolaramma Kere, the other two are also in severe decline.

Mismanagement

The main channel near the Taluk Panchayat has not been desilted since years. The Kodikannur lake is filled with meat waste thrown by slaughterhouses. The third, and the current source of drinking water to the city, Ammerahalli tank has not surplused in the last three years. But the officials seem to be avoiding proactive solutions and leaving it to the mercy of the rain god.

According to the statistics available, at least 65 per cent of borewells (of 250 borewells) were dry in the last August and the number is going up by the year. Yet, more borewells are being sunk in instead of initiating measures of rainwater harvesting by the authorities.

The City Municipal Council, inevitably, has to depend on water tankers to meet the water needs in the City. The situation is no different in the district.

Although Union Minister K H Muniyappa had urged the district administration (in September) not to sink more borewells, his suggestion was ignored.

Last year, the district had received less than the average rainfall. A team of officials from the Centre had visited the district for a survey.

Despite the district receiving rain from April this year, most of the tank beds are parched.

The district had recorded 448.7 mm rainfall in last July as against 263.4 mm in 2008. But as many as 300 villages in the district are facing water crisis.

‘Inaction’ plan

To cope with the situation, the district administration had prepared an action plan to revive the 296 minor irrigation projects, 776 borwells and to supply water to 110 villages and 80 wards in the City. The Minister had directed the district administration to clear lake encroachment and submit a report to him.

However, nothing has happened, yet. Unless the encroachments on main canal are cleared and as much rainwater is stored as possible, the reputation of Kolar would continue to be that of a dry district.