VIJAYAWADA : Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan instructed the officials to prepare a comprehensive plan to prevent the spread of seasonal diseases during the rainy season. He expressed his concern that the diseases occurring every year during the rainy season are affecting the living standards of villagers and impacting their health.
He, along with Ministers P Narayana, Y Satya Kumar Yadav and Chief Secretary Neerab Kumar Gupta, held a review meeting with the officials of Panchayathi Raj, RWS, Municipal Administration, and Health, Medical and Family Welfare departments in the conference hall of the State Assembly premises on Friday. The meeting was held in light of the prevalence of diarrhoea cases in Kommanapalli and Bendapudi villages of Kakinada district and few places in Guntur, Bapatla, and NTR districts.
It was found that the 15th Finance Commission funds coming from the Centre and revenue from various taxes to local organisations were being diverted through CFMS, resulting in the inability to provide villages with safe drinking water. Pawan Kalyan questioned the officials about the diversion of funds and income of local bodies in the last five years and instructed them to provide a comprehensive report.
The officials reported that there is a system of sampling and testing every Wednesday in the villages from where drinking water is supplied by Community Health Officers. Out of 10,047 samples taken in the first two weeks in June, as many as 217 samples were found to be contaminated.
The ministers sought an explanation from the officials on recent incidents in the cities of Vijayawada and Guntur, where people suffered from diarrhoea due to the alleged contamination of drinking water. Officials said that cases of diarrhoea are being recorded in cities and towns due to drainage water mixing with drinking water pipelines. In this direction, the ministers directed the officials to ensure that inspections of pipelines are conducted regularly and that any necessary repairs are made immediately.