SRIKAKULAM: Srikakulam has topped Andhra Pradesh in the implementation of Jal Shakti Abhiyan programme. The district has garnered 44 points, followed by Guntur with 39.66 points, Prakasam with 34.76 points, Kurnool with 28.52 points, Krishna with 27.48 points, West Godavari with 25.04 points, Kadapa with 24.86 points, Chittoor with 22.99 points and Anantapur with 14.51 points.
Only two districts from Andhra Pradesh stood in top 20 places in the national ranking—Srikakulam at 12th position and Guntur at the 19th position. Kasganj district in Uttar Pradesh has topped the country with 91.45 points followed by Banas Kanta district of Gujarat with 88.67 points and Mahaboobnagar of Telangana with 65.73 points.
With a view to increase groundwater levels in the selected mandals, including G Sigadam, Laveru and Ranasthalam, DWMA officials started awareness programmes, besides water conservation and rainwater harvesting programmes. A committee was formed with district-level officials for monitoring the implementation Jal Sakti Abhiyan programme at the grassroots level.
Rainwater harvesting structures in public institutions, soil moisture conservation trenches, boundary trenches, farm ponds, cattle ponds, dugout ponds, percolation tanks, check dams, water absorption trenches and staggered trenches were constructed as part of water conservation and rainwater harvesting, District water Management Agency, Srikakulam project director H Kurma Rao said.
He also said renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks, construction of borewell recharge structures, watershed developments and intensive afforestation programmes were also started in selected mandals. As many as 411 works were completed, while 387 are underway out of the scheduled 974 works worth an estimated `9.99 crore in the district, he added. A committee comprising district-level officials has been formed to monitor the abhiyan’s implementation, he said.