Summer action plan ready to prevent urban water shortages

Vijayawada: The municipal administration and urban development department prepared a comprehensive Summer Action Plan to ensure that no town faces drinking water scarcity during the peak summer months.

Giving a presentation at collectors’ conference on Thursday, municipal administration and urban development principal secretary S Suresh Kumar explained the measures being taken to meet water demand across urban areas. He said that in the state’s 123 municipalities and municipal corporations (Urban Local Bodies), the total demand is estimated at 2,680 MLD, based on a norm of 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD). Currently, about 2,098 MLD of water is being supplied, leaving a shortfall of around 582 MLD.

According to the presentation, 19 towns are receiving more than 135 LPCD, while 33 towns receive less than 70 LPCD.

To address the deficit, the government has arranged alternative water sources. Across the State, 37,723 borewells are supplying about 251 MLD, while 416 water tankers are providing another 11.97 MLD. To ensure safe drinking water, officials are testing 11,097 water samples daily.

Suresh Kumar also reviewed the storage levels of Summer Storage (SS) tanks that supply water to urban areas. He noted that tanks in places such as Narasaraopet, Sattenapalli and Markapuram are currently at full capacity. District collectors have been instructed to ensure that all SS tanks are completely filled before irrigation canals are closed.

Considering the severity of summer, the government has identified 39 critical municipalities that may face potential water shortages and prepared a special Summer Action Plan for them. Funds have been allocated for flushing and deepening borewells, hiring private borewells, installing generators, and laying new pipelines.

The principal secretary directed district collectors to closely monitor the situation and conduct regular reviews with local officials to ensure that no town faces water scarcity during the summer.