`42 lakh funds sanctioned for water supply

Vikarabad:  Rural Water Supply department officials have identified 80 villages facing acute drinking water shortage and set their sights on implementing alternative measures to tide over the crisis in the current summer pending implementation of the Mission Bhagiratha works. 

The state government gave green signal to spending Rs 42 lakh to implement summer contingency plan to tide over the crisis. There are over 4,808 hand pumps under the limits of 374 village panchayats and 970 habitats. The officials noted that 80 villages were facing acute drinking water crisis. 

To solve the problem, the officials entered into agreements with agriculture bore well owners to quench the thirst of 18 villages – three villages in Kodangal mandal, seven in Daultabad mandal, four in Doma mandal, three in Marpalli mandal, two in Bomraspet mandal and one village in Bantwaram mandal. 

The agreement will remain valid till June 20 as officials perceived that the problem will continue till then. While the world bank stipulates that 100 liters of water is needed per head per day, the state government has supplied 60 liters per head. As the drinking water problem intensifies, the government has now decided to supply only 15 liters per head during the current summer. 

Currently, drinking water tankers are supplying water to 11 villages making at least 51 trips a day. The rural drinking water supply officials state that they are taking precautions to ensure that no drinking water problem surfaces in villages. Drinking water tankers and agriculture bore wells have been hired to rule out inconvenience to villages. 

They observed that the drinking water problem is acute in Daultabad mandal. Our staff members are available at the field level. The officials are confident that no drinking water problems surface once the Mission Bhagiradha scheme goes on stream.