Govt out to quench city's thirst with enough water

Hyderabad: Despite the implementation of the "Summer Action Plan" by the State government to address the water scarcity, both the Agriculture and Irrigation Departments are arranging for the distribution of drinking water from reservoirs and projects during the peak summer months of April and May this year. The government was confident of the supply of adequate drinking water in Hyderabad with the available water resources.

Emergency pumping from the reservoirs and drawing water from the SRSP, SripadaYellampalli, and Nagarjuna Sagar projects would be part of the plan. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari held a video conference with the district collectors and took stock of the drinking water situation in their respective districts. She reiterated that there was no problem with drinking water in the current summer as there is sufficient water available in the three main reservoirs.

The chief secretary reassured that sufficient funds have been allocated to the districts, alleviating concerns regarding the State's drinking water supply. Additionally, the flushing of bore wells and repairs to pipes have been successfully executed. Collectors have been instructed to promptly rectify any management errors and prioritise uninterrupted water supply.

The Collectors were told to hold a teleconference with the concerned field level officials and nodal officials on drinking water supply in villages and towns every day. She directed that special measures be taken to ensure that all the works sanctioned as part of the plan are completed on time, paying special attention to operation and maintenance.

“Despite the lack of sufficient rainfall in the State this time, there is no need to worry as the water levels in the main reservoirs (SRSP, SripadaYellampalli, and Nagarjuna Sagar) are the same as last year,” said Santhi Kumari. However, the Collectors were also directed to make alternative arrangements. She said that in some municipalities and villages there were administrative deficiencies, and these deficiencies were resolved immediately. The water board officials informed the chief secretary that there is sufficient supply of water in Hyderabad, but the demand is high due to commercial needs.

Municipal and Urban Development Department principal secretary Dana Kishore, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department principal secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Municipal Department director Divya, water board MD Sudarshan Reddy, and other officials attended the video conference.