TIRUPATI: Four Rayalaseema districts and Nellore are set to get a lion’s share of the proposed water for every household scheme,which has been approved by the Centre.
The State government has come up with Water for Every Household Scheme with a total outlay of Rs 50,000 crore to supply purified drinking water to each and every family. Setting up of a Water Grid and development of necessary infrastructure in the State are part of the scheme.
In the first phase of the perspective plan, Chittoor, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool districts in Rayalaseema and Nellore will get Rs 9,400 crore. The remaining districts in the State will get Rs 6,000 crore for implementation of the scheme, KS Jawahar Reddy, Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, told Express.
The aim of the scheme is to supply protected drinking water to each and every house in the State and meet the drinking needs of people fully.
Elaborating further, he said, “In the first phase, we are going to implement the scheme with an outlay of Rs 15,730 crore to supply drinking water to 36,884 households. About 75 per cent of the cost for giving individual tap connections will be borne by the government. The household has to bear the remaining 25 of the cost.”
As part of the initiative to develop rural infrastructure, at least one bitumen road will be laid in every hamlet. Up to three bitumen roads will be laid in the hamlets with a population of above 250 for better connectivity. For implementation of the road project, the State government will get funds from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
As part of the project, the government is going to spend Rs 4,500 crore on laying of new roads. The road works at the division level will be taken up soon, he said. Installation of LED lights to improve street lighting in villages is also under progress. The State is set to become Open Defecation Free by March 31. Six districts have realised the target of constructing individual toilets and three districts are on the threshold of achieving it and there are issues with four districts.
Fund allocation
A9,400 cr
Chittoor, Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore
A6,000 cr
The remaining districts in the State