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Thirsty days ahead for Prakasam district
Prakasam district, which is regularly hit by drought, is heading for another thirsty summer severe than last year. The RWS officials, who should make necessary arrangements for supplying safe drinking water, are unable to answer to the allegations by the MLAs and MLCs on their favoritism towards contractors and making money on the need of the public.
Ongole: Prakasam district, which is regularly hit by drought, is heading for another thirsty summer severe than last year.
The RWS officials, who should make necessary arrangements for supplying safe drinking water, are unable to answer to the allegations by the MLAs and MLCs on their favoritism towards contractors and making money on the need of the public.
Prakasam district has about 2,334 habitations with 28.20 lakh population in 6.45 lakh households. In them, 1.48 lakh households only have a direct water connection. Along with the public tap connections, these household water connections supply water from Protected Water Supply (PWS) Scheme, Comprehensive PWS (CPWS) Scheme, Direct Booster Water Supply (DBWS) Scheme or Mini PWS (MPWS) Scheme in the neighbourhood.
On the other side, there are 25,756 handpumps in the district to supply groundwater to the public, nearby households.
According to the data submitted to Minister for Municipal Administration P Narayana in his recent visit to the district, in the Kanigiri Assembly constituency, 1,324 of the 4,154 handpumps went dry and condemned while 350 of the PWS, MPWS, and DBWS schemes are functional.
In Giddalur Assembly constituency, only 207 of the 1,998 handpumps were functional, while just 438 of the 985 water supply schemes are working. Only 172 of the 556 water supply schemes are working while 1,508 of the 2,060 handpumps are dry and condemned in the Markapur Assembly constituency. Similar conditions are in Yerragondapalem, while 1,340 of the 1,946 handpumps went dry while only 359 of the 701 water supply schemes are working.
The government pays the water transport contractors for supplying water from private sources. The local MLAs Adimulapu Suresh, Janke Venkata Reddy, MLCs Yandapalli Srinivasulu Reddy and Vithapu Balasubrahmanyam alleged that the RWS officials are deliberately not repairing the water supply schemes to favour the water transport contractors.
Zilla Parishad chairman Edara Haribabu also supported the allegations levelled by the public representatives at the general body meeting. He promised to appoint a committee to investigate the allegations against the favouritism of RWS officials towards the water transport contractors.
Responding to the arrangements for the remaining summer and allegations on his colleagues, the superintending engineer of RWS, P Sanjeeva Reddy said, “We are supplying water to the needy areas without fail. An action plan will be prepared to supply water to the affected habitations if the scarcity is increased in coming days. They will supply water through tankers from private sources available in the area. The allegations on the officials will be investigated and action will be taken if proved correct.”
By naresh nan
