GUNTUR: Setting aside their political differences, the ruling Telugu Desam and Opposition YSR Congress MLAs highlighted the severe drinking water crisis in the district at the Zilla Parishad meeting here on Tuesday and demanded measures on a war footing to quench the thirst of people in the hot summer.
The meeting was presided over by ZP Chairperson Sk Johny Moon. Civil Supplies Minister P Pulla Rao, Social Welfare Minister N Ananda Babu and district collector Kantilal Dande attended the meeting.
Raising the issue at the meeting, the TDP and YSRC MLAs alleged that the Rural Water Supply Department failed to take adequate measures to augment drinking water supply in villages much before the advent of summer. As a result, majority of villages are reeling under severe drinking water crisis, they said.
YSRC MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy lamented that the RWS officials failed to carry out small repairs to Jerri Vagu which supplies water to Macherla and Veldurthi mandals. Though the water crisis in his Macherla Assembly constituency was raised at the earlier ZP meeting, no steps were taken to augment drinking water supply, he said.
Another YSRC MLA G Srinivasa Reddy said the RWS officials proposed to sink 102 borewells in graveyards in his Narasaraopet Assembly segment leaving residential colonies, which reflected their indifference to the drinking water crisis. Though Rs 1.36 crore was sanctioned for sinking of borewells, it served no purpose, he said.
TDP MLA GV Anjaneyulu flayed the RWS officials for their failure to take measures to supply 300 cusecs of water through SKF Channel to tanks in his Vinukonda constituency for the drinking needs of people in summer.
Gundlakamma Vagu has dried up. As a result, about 45 villages which are dependent on the stream for their drinking needs, are facing acute water crisis. There are no RWS AEs in Vinukonda, Bollapalli and Nuzendla mandals to monitor the supply of drinking water, he said.
After hearing the complaints of MLAs pertaining to drinking water crisis, minister Pulla Rao and collector Kantilal Dande sought a clarification from RWS SE T Bhanu Varaprasad in this regard. But the SE failed to give proper reply related to measures taken by the RWS to augment drinking water supply in villages during the summer.
Expressing his dissatisfaction over the functioning of RWS officials, Pulla Rao proposed to appoint Gurazala RDO E Murali as a special officer to resolve drinking water crisis. MLA Ramakrishna Reddy felt that it would be of no use as the special official appointed earlier failed to ensure adequate supply of drinking water to villages due to lack of proper cooperation from the RWS and other departments concerned. TDP MLC Dokka Manikya Varaprasada Rao also expressed his concern over the drinking water crisis and demanded stern action against the negligent RWS officials.
The Civil Supplies Minister resolved to urge the State government to release 7.5 tmcft of water into Nagarjuna Sagar canal to fill the tanks in the district.