Chittoor administration chalks out summer action plan to address drinking water crisis

District Collector Sumit Kumar on Saturday directed officials from the Rural Water Supply (RWS), Panchayat Raj, and Municipal Administration departments to be ready to initiate prompt measures to ensure safe and uninterrupted drinking water supply across the district. He also asked them to identify the villages facing the issue of water crisis with the summer already around the corner.

Addressing the officials at the Collectorate, the Collector informed the officials to implement proactive steps to prevent drinking water shortages. He underscored the need for regular maintenance of overhead water tanks, with direct monitoring by the special officers at the mandal-level. Mr. Sumit Kumar said that the officials should raise public awareness on issues such as open defecation, which could lead to water contamination.

The Collector stressed on the importance of coordination among the field officials of the Panchayat Raj and RWS, and added that the panchayat secretaries and engineering assistants will also play a crucial role in the maintenance of the overhead tanks. He said that all the units should be kept clean by the end of March. “The field staff should promptly submit geotagged photographs as proof of completed cleaning activities,” he said.

Mr. Sumit Kumar cautioned the staff at the field-level that damaged drinking water pipelines could lead to contamination, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. He directed the officials to immediately undertake repairs to any leakages and maintain the water quality and safety.

The officials, meanwhile, informed the Collector that in the last fortnight, as many as 308 dysfunctional hand pumps were identified, of which 233 have already been repaired. As many as 190 pipeline leakages were detected and all were rectified. The problem with 221 pump sets were fixed, while only four units were pending.

The Collector directed the officials to identify the villages, particularly along the forested stretches, which are facing the drinking water crisis. In such cases, the water tankers should be immediately sent to the particular locations and maintained regularly till further orders. Zilla Parishad CEO Ravi Kumar Naidu, District Panchayat Officer Sudhakar Rao, RWS officials, and other officials were also present.