Daijiworld Media Network – Hubballi (DC)

Hubballi, May 7: At a time when the farmers are distressed due to water scarcity in the state, controversy has erupted after water tankers were being emptied to prevent dust from rising from airport road till PM Narendra Modi's rally in Hubballi on May 6.

Unfortunately the angry locals say that the city corporation releases water only once in 10 days to the residents of the city but for a rally they were wasting thousands of litres of water on road just to impress the PM. They also lashed out at the PM who addressed a convention making tall promises of solving water woes in the state and targeted the Congress over Mahadayi water row while his party leaders resorted to something different.

One of the residents from Hubli said that the commuters and the residents in the area suffer from dust allergy. "Neither the district administration nor the city corporation has taken any step to mitigate the dust. But the officials now are trying to create dust-free road to impress the prime minister and are wasting thousands of litres of water since last few days using water tankers. We are facing water shortage at this summer and these leaders wasting water makes no sense," he said.

The water tankers containing about more than 5,000 litres of water were emptied to present dust on the road before Modi was to address the rally.

The incident drew criticism from various corners especially the public and the opposition parties lashing out at the local administration and the BJP leaders when the state is facing drought situation and water shortage.

PM Modi is in poll-bound Karnataka for campaigning ahead of assembly polls due on May 12.