The High Court on Wednesday directed the Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh and other officials to appear before it on Thursday in connection with a PIL filed by Karnataka Rashtriya Kisan Sangha and 29 other organisations seeking drinking water supply to border areas like Pavagada, Madhugiri and other places in the State.
A division Bench also directed the State Advocate General K Ravivarma Kumar and other officers concerned to be present on that day to make their submission.
The Bench asked the State government why it has not taken any action since the petition was filed in the court over two years ago and despite directions to both states to come to a conclusion on the issue.
Kumar submitted that the State government is ready to bear the expenses and a pipeline was laid from Tungabhadra river from Hospet. He said that 156 villages in the border areas need water as the water in these villages have high quantity of fluoride. “Due to this, people are suffering from various diseases and the situation is alarming,” he added.
The Bench then asked, “Why can’t you convene a meeting of officials and ensure water supply? Forget Seemandhra and other problems, resolve this matter at once. Don’t try to politicise this matter,” it observed.
The petitioners had moved the court seeking supply of drinking water to Pavagada taluk through the pipeline laid for the Neelakantapuram Srirami Reddy Water Project in AP to supply water to Madakshira and other places. The court had earlier directed the State government to explore the possibility of providing water through the existing infrastructure.