Water problems prevalent in Rabakavi Banahatti

Open defecation, undrinkable water and river pollution among the problems

Banahatti, Nov. 2, 2018: People of Rabakavi Banahatti face water related issues on a daily basis. One of the most prominent problems is the lack of drinking water in the taluk. Not only is there an insufficiency in potable water, but also people are prone to diseases due to open defecation.

Shiva, a resident of Banahatti, said, “We get water for only an hour after a 2 days gap. The problem with the water is it comes from the Krishna River. The MLA of district had set up a three-layer filtration system so that the water that’s being supplied for drinking purposes is actually drinkable. Even after that, the water is still not fit for drinking. That’s the reason why we need to buy water most of the times.”

He also mentioned that, “The drains through which the dye-water is let out ends up meeting the Krishna River, in fact all the drains lead to the river.”

The area surrounding the Shiv temple in Banahatti is prone to diseases as open defecation is prevalent in this locality.

Abdullah, a Xerox shop owner in Banahatti, said, “My home (near the Shiv temple) is surrounded by kaccha houses which lack toilets. The people living near the temple defecate in the open. This could be one of the reasons why the place is prone to diseases regularly.”

Yelappa Katagi, the Nagar Sevak of Banahatti, said, “Another reason for the lack of water in Rabakavi Banahatti is that the water source through which Krishna replenishes itself is Koyna Dam. The deal is that the water is dispersed to other districts from our taluk after Krishna is fully replenished. This leaves no water for the whole of Bagalkot in the month of February. The cycle continues as the water returns in June.”