K. Chandrashekhar Rao instructs officials to focus on drinking water

Chief Minister of Telangana K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday instructed officials to give top priority to drinking water in the utilisation of river waters and that the Minimum Draw Down Levels (MDDL) should be maintained at all the reservoirs and Irrigation projects.

Chief Minister Rao held a review meeting with the officials on supply of water to Mission Bhagiratha programme, here.

"We have taken up a gigantic programme like Mission Bhagiratha to supply drinking water to every household on a daily basis. Once we start supplying the drinking water we cannot stop it," Rao said.

He added, "We should not stop it either. For this water from the rivers should be available throughout the year. For this maintain MDDL at all the projects. It is not enough if water is stored at the projects and it should be released when need arises. Water should be released when it is required so that there is no scarcity."

"We have kept 30 resource points for Mission Bhagiratha. Calculate how much water is required for each resource point and store 25 percent more than the required quantity of water. Prepare charts project wise and issue orders. Based on this, prepare the Project Operation rules. For this, Irrigation and Mission Bhagiratha officials should have joint meetings," the Chief Minister said.

Telangana Government's Chief Advisor Sri Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary Sri SP Singh, Special Chief Secretary Sri SK Joshi, E-in-C Sri Nagender, OSD Sri Sridhar Deshpande, Mission Bhagiratha E-in-C Sri Surender Reddy, Advisor Sri Gnaneswar, CE Sri Jaganmohan Reddy, CMO officials participated in the meeting.

Other than this, Chief Minister Rao also suggested, as a part of the forest revival programme, selective medicinal plants should be planted and grown in the Vikarabad forest. The Chief Minister has also reviewed the Third Phase of Haritha Haram programme with the CMO officials.

He said, "Vikarabad, with its nature's beauty, has all the factors to develop like the hill station Ooty."

The Chief Minister also instructed that the state-wide mobile Veterinary Clinics must be kept ready, adding that these clinics should take care of the sheeps that were imported into the State and other animals.

Rao also directed the officials to successfully implement the distribution of sarees to the poor women on the occasion of Bathukamma festival.