CM instructs officials to prepare action plan to meet the increased demand for drinking water

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy instructed officials to prepare an action plan to meet the increased demand for drinking water in the summer, including making village administrations responsible to supply water in their areas. Mission Bhagratha had failed to fulfil its purpose, he said. 

Revanth Reddy asked officials to utilise water from the newly constructed reservoirs like Mallannasagar, Kondapochammasagar and Ranganayakasagar apart from the projects on the river Krishna and Godavari for the purpose.

He explained during a review meeting on panchayat raj and rural development department affairs that it would be easier and less expensive to supply drinking water to the surrounding villages from the reservoirs. Revanth Reddy said that the previous BRS government’s claim of the supplying safe drinking water to every household had not helped the state. Due to this, the state could not get funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission from the Centre.

He cautioned officials against projecting the state as being 'rich' — something that the BRS government did — by suppressing facts. People were still facing drinking water problems in tandas, gudems and agency areas. He recalled that in Khanapur village, people had told him of a drinking water shortage. Mission Bhagiratha has been asked to take the responsibility of supplying safe drinking water to the villages.

The CM said that sarpanchs should be entrusted with ensuring that drinking water supply reaches every hold in the villages. He directed officials to finalise procedures for this. Maintenance of drinking water supply, taps and the pipelines in the villages should be entrusted separately to the sarpanchs. 

With the tenure of sarpanchs coming to an end at the end of the month, the CM asked the authorities to take the responsibility of drinking water supply in the villages. Engineers were asked advised to



visit all the villages and prepare a list of habitations without a proper drinking water supply facility. New proposals for funding to accomplish the last mile connectivity will be made and sent to the Centre to seek funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Revanth Reddy said. Revanth Reddy said no one was paying attention to the intra-village works and house-to-house tap water supply under Mission Bhagiratha. 

Officials told him that the issue of drinking water management in villages was not under anyone's control. The CM cautioned the crisis would aggravate if there was no accountability. He directed that a comprehensive survey be conducted to indentify villages and habitations which are short of drinking water. For the summer, he directed officials to use Rs 1 crore of the Rs 10 crore Special Development Fund given to each Assembly segment for drinking water needs. 

On other issues, he said the government would lay special focus on strengthening the self-help groups (SHGs) by providing financial support. The CM suggested that the SHGs be given the work of stitching the uniforms for the students of government schools, Gurukuls, hostels and the police. The groups will be provided the required training. Revanth Reddy directed officials to develop a road network in the villages and connect all habitations after officials informed him that 422 gram panchayats and 3,177 habitations still do not have road connectivity. He ordered officials to lay black top roads in the villages. 

The employment guarantee scheme funds will be linked, if necessary, for road development works. Revanth Reddy asked officials to prepare proposals for funds in the new Budget. Panchayat raj and rural development minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka), roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and top officials were present.