Kushalnagar faces severe water shortage crisis

Kushalnagar Municipality is facing a severe water crisis as the Cauvery River's water level declines. Over 30,000 residents are now struggling to find enough drinking water. The municipality has stopped using its water supply unit on Maramma Temple Road. The pumps that used to fill the ground-level reservoir are no longer functioning. In the past, the Chiklihole reservoir provided backup water during shortages. However, it is currently empty, leaving borewells as the only source. Authorities have begun using tankers to deliver water to residents across 65 blocks. They are drawing water from a nearby borewell, but the situation remains dire until the river flows again. Many borewells in high areas like Basaveshwara Nagar and Nagegowda Nagar have run dry. This has left some neighborhoods without clean drinking water. In addition, water supply from nearby Priyapatna town has stopped entirely due to the dry state of the Cauvery Riverbank. Authorities attempted to use sandbags to collect water, but the plan failed because the riverbed is too dry. A new project is being planned to supply water from the Harangi reservoir, but this will take several months. The completion of this project is urgent, as it could provide much-needed relief when finished.