Summer action plan should be implemented vigorously No drinking water problems

Amaravati, April 17: Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand has instructed the district collectors to take all necessary precautionary measures to prevent drinking water problems anywhere in the state during the current summer. On Thursday, a video conference was held with the district collectors from the State Secretariat on the summer action plan related to drinking water supply, Swarnandhra and Swachhandhra programs. Speaking on this occasion, he clarified that the necessary summer action plan should be implemented vigorously so that there is no problem with drinking water anywhere in the state. He said that 3,438 habitations in 332 mandals in the state that are likely to face summer water shortage have been identified and steps are being taken to implement the summer action plan with a cost of Rs 67.31 crore. Since hot weather conditions and hot winds are likely to prevail in various parts of the state in the coming days, the CS advised the collectors to be prepared with adequate preparedness and precautionary action plans to overcome the conditions of hot winds.
He directed that drinking water needs of the people should be met by supplying drinking water through tankers in drought-affected zones and by taking private drinking water sources on lease basis where necessary. He also directed that efforts should be made to solve the drinking water problem by rehabilitating and repairing temporary water supply systems, filling drinking water tanks with water, and repairing hand pumps. The CS directed that special monitoring cells be set up at the state and district levels to receive complaints on drinking water issues, respond to them in a timely manner, and resolve them immediately. Similarly, the CS ordered that complaints regarding drinking water received through the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS), various media units, Drought Monitoring Cell, and Contact Center Toll-Free Number -1902 should be responded to immediately and resolved in a timely manner.
Similarly, CS directed that appropriate measures be taken to ensure that drinking water is not disrupted anywhere in urban areas. He said that all summer storage tanks should be filled completely with water, canals should be blocked in coordination with the Water Resources Department, water should be pumped into sugarcane wells and filled completely with water. He suggested that measures like flushing and deepening borewells should be taken in areas dependent on groundwater. He said that immediate repairs should be carried out on hand pumps and power bores and that they should be made to function properly. At the same time, he ordered that all fresh water distribution lines and pumping mains should be completely inspected and water leakages should be prevented, and that generators should be made available on stands so that water supply does not suffer in case of power outages.Fresh water should be supplied through tankers in areas where drinking water is a problem. He said that there should be widespread awareness among the people on the need to use drinking water economically. CS Vijayanand directed that a complaints cell be set up in every urban local body to receive complaints from the people regarding drinking water and resolve them in a timely manner.He also suggested that special cold storage centers be set up in the required areas with the help of donors and other organizations. The CS ordered the collectors to take strict measures to prevent the spread of diseases due to water pollution.
Later, while reviewing the Swarnandhra and Swachhandhra programs, CS Vijayanand said that efforts should be made to keep all offices and surroundings clean by organizing Swachhandhra Day properly every month. He suggested that special attention should be paid to the proper management of various electronic waste (e-waste) and that appropriate awareness should be created among the people. He said that members of self-help groups should be trained on e-waste collection so that e-waste can be identified in all departments and necessary steps should be taken to dispose of it properly. He said that public participation should be encouraged in e-waste collection programs once a week. He said that Pollution Control Board officials would provide appropriate support to provide technical assistance on e-waste processing. CS Vijayanand clarified to the collectors that posters, pamphlets, advertisements and social media should be circulated to create awareness among the people on the harm caused by dumping e-waste wherever they fall.
Principal Secretary GAD Mukesh Kumar Meena, MD APIIC, Director Industries Department Abhishek Kishore, MD Swachhandra Corporation Anil Kumar Reddy participated in the video conference while Collectors of various districts and other officials participated virtually.