VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy has directed officials to ensure that there is no drinking water scarcity in the State till the end of June by effectively implementing a summer action plan with an outlay of Rs 115 crore.
Holding a meeting with the officials of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply and Municipal Water Supply departments at the State Secretariat on Thursday, the Chief Secretary took stock of the drinking water supply in rural and urban areas.
The officials should complete the pending drinking water schemes on a war-footing.
Steps should be taken to fill all the summer storage tanks with water, besides laying emphasis on maintenance of drinking water schemes. Repairs of borewells should also be taken up on a priority basis, he said.
Directing the officials to swiftly respond to the complaints with regard to drinking water supply through the 1904 call centre, he said coordinated efforts should be made to ensure that there is no drinking water shortage anywhere in the State in the ensuing summer.
Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) Shashi Bhushan Kumar said private borewells will be taken on rent as part of the summer contingency plan, besides focusing on filling storage tanks and repairing borewells to augment water supply.
A plan has been evolved well in advance to supply drinking water through tankers to 1,354 problematic habitations till June. Supply of water through tankers to 109 habitations has already been taken up, he informed.
Participating in the meeting through a video conference, Commissioner (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Lathkar Shrikesh Balajirao said drinking water is being supplied once in a day in 47 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), twice in a day in 29 ULBs and once in two days in 43 ULBs.
Drinking water is being supplied once in three days in Kadapa, Penukonda, Ongole and Hindupur ULBs. Steps are being taken to augment water supply in the four ULBs, the Commissioner added.
Special Chief Secretary (Finance) SS Rawat and other senior officials attended the review meeting.
Water supply in ULBs
47 Once in a day
29 Twice in a day
43 Once in two days
4 Once in three days
