Hard hit by consecutive droughts, in the last two years, taluks in Malnad region, have not been able to meet the drinking water shortage.

Such has been the distress situation that MLAs of the Malnad and eternally drought-hit Chikballapur district, dread facing the people in the constituency during the coming elections for fear of incuring their wrath. Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Sunil V Hegde of Haliyal constituency, Uttara Kannada district, N Sampangi of Bagepalli constitutency, Chikballapur district, and Congress MLA Kimmane Rathnakar of Thirthahalli raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday participating in the discussion on drought and drinking water shortage.