Kolar: The district is facing acute water shortage with 281 villages lacking drinking water facilities and their number is increasing day by day. The drought relief works requires a fund of Rs 18 crores and soon a proposal will be submitted to the government soon said deputy commissioner B Shivappa. He was speaking, presiding a meeting at his office on Monday of draught relief and calamity authority. The zilla panchayat assistant executive engineer informed the meeting that tankers are utilised to supply water to 25 villages in Kolar taluk and 15 villages in Mulbagal taluk. Two villages in Mulbagal are supplied water through a private concern. One village in Srinivasapur, 9 villages in Malur and 17 villages in Bangarapet are being supplied with water from tankers and 25 villages are supplied water by private concerns, he said. Deputy commissioner B Shivappa instructed him to give a talukwise report of villages facing drinking water problems. He also gave strict instructions to hold a taskforce committee comprising AEE, TP CEO under the leadership of taluk tahsildar, meeting once a week and send report without fail, as the district has not received the usual rainfall of 650 mm by now and the situation will go worse if rain fails. A control room is established in the TAP CEO's office to lodge all complaints regarding water and to record water problems. It was also suggested a permanent solution instead of supplying water. Officials were specially instructed to take special care about drinking water problems. It was announced at the meeting that in prescribed format the population of each village, available water resources, number of bore wells, bore wells that have gone defunct and action taken about them, the solution under the working plan should be recorded and submitted. ZP CEO F R Jamadar said in the link document, Rs 14 crore is expected to be released for drinking water and Rs 6.24 lakh is pending to complete the incomplete civil works and Rs 15 crore is required for commencing new civil works. The Deputy Commissioner suggested to install bore wells in cases of immediate emergency. He instructed to take special care about BCM hostels and Social Welfare department hostels. Controlling epidemics ZP CEO F R Jamadar suggested that letters should be written to all gram panchayath presidents to take appropriate action to see that there is no water logging anywhere in the villages to control the spread of chikungunya, dengue and cholera. He also suggested fogging to get rid of mosquitoes. Gram Sampark programmes could be organised to create public awareness, he said. Also to make sure that medicines are available everywhere. Ration Card Deputy Commissioner instructed the tahsildar to take action to include any name that is missing in the BPL list to issue ration card. Any card issued to ineligible persons should be withdrawn he said. The grains at the public distribution shops should be checked by the Jagruti Samiti before issuing he said. All ration cards should be issued before 25 July, he said. BPL card holders should be compulsorily issued photo ID cards and tahsildars and TP CEOs should visit the fair price shops and inspect he said. Fertilisers and seeds The district has a stock of 2091.85 ton Urea and 45.25 ton Ammonium Sulphate and a total 3492.22 ton fertiliser is available. By JUly end another 1106 ton fertiliser is expected to arrive informed the agriculture officials. The deputy commissioner obtained talukwise details of fertiliser and seed requirement and demand and instructed to issue 50 kg per acre fertiliser to each farmer. There are possibilities of fertiliser traders creating artificial shortage and hence all tahsildars should inspect the stock available with each trader he suggested. When it rains if there is any shortage of fertiliser and seed concerned assistant agriculture directors will be mercilessly dismissed from work, he warned. Hence he instructed all to take appropriate precaution.