Siddaramaiah drought tour: Controversy after water emptied from tankers to prevent dust

A controversy has erupted over two water tankers being emptied to prevent dust from rising from a road ahead of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s programme at Bilagi in the district during his ongoing visit of drought-hit areas. The two tankers containing about 5000 litres of water were emptied before Siddaramaiah was to garland the statue of saint Kanakadasa (1509-1609 AD) as the road where it is located was dusty.

Siddaramaiah was scheduled to visit Badagandi village in Bilagi taluk as part of his current state wide tour of the areas reeling under drought. “I will ask the Deputy Commissioner to look into it,” said Siddaramaiah when asked by reporters about the incident yesterday.

Local legislator J T Patil, however, maintained that there was no drinking water scarcity in Bilagi. The incident drew criticism from state BJP President and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

He said when the state is facing drought situation and water shortage, “for the Chief Minister himself to do this for his own purposes...people will mock at it.”