Deccan Chronicle 05.04.2010

Water crisis to hit 17 districts

Hyderabad, April 4: Drinking water crisis looms large in 17 districts as summer is fast approaching.

Out of the 23 districts in the state, these 17 districts are facing drinking water shortage as several tanks and canals have dried up.

More than 60 towns in the state depend on small tanks nearby for their drinking water requirements.

Most of these tanks have dried up forcing the municipal authorities to depend on summer storage tanks.

With frequent power cuts and load shedding, pumping water to these storage tanks has become a big problem for the municipal authorities.

“We have released Rs 4 crore for each district to ensure drinking water supply regularly. Power cuts are causing disturbance in water supply,” said Ms Chitra Ramachandran, principal secretary, rural water supply department.

Kadiri, Rayachoti, Budwel, Armur, Madanapalli, Siricilla, Palasa, Punganuru, Markapuram, Kothagudem and Palonch towns are in deep trouble with most of their water resources drying up completely.

“Most of these towns are only given water once in three days. Municipalities in Rayalaseema region are supplied water once in a week. We are taking up drilling of new borewells to resolve the problem on an emergency basis,” said a senior official in the municipal administration.

The state government had sanctioned Rs 69 crore for drilling new borewells, restoring or deepening existing bores and creating new transport facilities.

Another Rs 35 crore has been sanctioned to provide power facility to existing borewells.

Each district will be given between Rs 50 lakh to 2 crore depending upon the need.

“We have to provide at least 140 litres of water every day to every person. But at present we are not able to provide 30-40 litres per day,” said an official in the panchayat raj department.