VIJAYAWADA: Municipalities of Vizianagaram and Salur, both in Vizianagaram district were found discharging the drainage water into the Pedda Cheruvu and Vegavathi river respectively. Both the water bodies are main drinking water sources for the respective civic bodies.
Similarly it was found that in Dhone, Guntakal, Markapur and Pedana municipalities, no measures were taken for treating the drainage water before disposal. When the CAG report brought it to the notice of the government, the latter said necessary guidelines would be formulated to protect drinking water from pollution.
Water supply and treatment manual prescribes laboratory examination of physical, chemical, bacteriological and biological analysis of water samples to confirm the quality of water. In the urban local bodies, CAG had audited, it was found that except Tirupati and Vijayawada, laboratory facilities were not in place as part of the water supply system.
CAG observed the leakage of water is another problem plugging the municipalities, which needs to be addressed to by way of systemic approach. It was also observed that flow meters were not installed at source/treatment plant and distribution zones.
With a view to reducing the burden on urban poor seeking tap connection, the State government in July 2008 had granted concessional household service connection charges of Rs 200 instead of Rs 1,200 and in 2012 had directed the municipalities to conduct a ward level survey of BPL households to provide household connections.
The survey was yet to be taken up in 10 ULBs, CAG had audited. Data collected from the revenue and municipal authorities showed that 1.78 lakh in Dhone, Guntakal, Gudur, Markapur, Narsipatnam, Pedana, Pithapuram, Salur and Vizianagaram were yet to be provided connectivity.
The 13th Finance Commission has prescribed a Service Level Benchmark of 100 per cent coverage of water supply connections to the households in the municipalities. However it was observed that out of 30.78 lakh properties covered under property tax in the State, only 13.01 lakh (42 per cent) households were provided with water supply connections.
As per Operation and Maintenance manual, metering of water supply is desirable to minimise the wastage and to maintain the economic pricing of water. The benchmark for metering water supply connections prescribed by the 13th Finance Commission was 100 per cent. However, water meters were not installed in six municipalities audited by the CAG and another six municipalities, water connections were metered only to the extent of six per cent.
Authorities say that consumers were not coming forward for installation of meters. Further, metering of water connection was not made mandatory. As such, the objective of minimising wastage, ascertaining quantity and economic pricing of water could not be achieved.
Though the 13th Finance Commission had prescribed the Service Level Benchmark of round-the-clock water supply, it remains unachieved. In 110 urban local bodies in the State, periodicity of water supply ranged from twice in a day to once in five days and duration of supply ranged from less than one hour to three-and-half hours per day.
As per National Water Policy 2012, an independent Water Regulatory Authority (WRA) was to be formed to ensure equitable access to water for all and its fair pricing for drinking and other uses. However, CAG observed that the WRA was not established by the time the report was prepared.
Groundwater needs to be conserved by reuse of recycled water. Artificial recharge of groundwater can be achieved by direct recharge and surface flow harvesting. In a bid to conserve groundwater, the State government made harvesting of rainwater in all group housing and commercial establishments mandatory in 1998. Later in 2000, it was made mandatory for buildings constructed on plots measuring 300 sq mts and above.
CAG observed that no steps were taken by the municipalities to educate the public on the importance of groundwater recharging/rainwater harvesting. Construction of Rainwater Harvesting Structures (RWHS) was found to be grossly inadequate in the urban local bodies audited by CAG.
It was found that out of 10,834 building permissions accorded during 2011-16, an amount of Rs 1.55 crore was collected as a token amount for construction of RWHS by the municipalities. However only 149 RWHS were constructed at a total cost of Rs 1.92 lakh and the balance amount of Rs 1.53 crore remained unspent.