Mission Bhagiratha will be completed before polls: KCR

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao today declared that work on Mission Bhagiratha to provide safe drinking water to every household would be completed four to five months before elections next year.

Thus, the TRS government is well on course to fulfil its promise that it would not seek people’s mandate if tapped water is not made available to every house before the end of the current term.

Reviewing the progress of the mission with senior officials today, Mr. Rao noted that 95% of grid related work and 75% of the project work was completed. Work in villages, including fitting of taps, was progressing well.

Quoting Mr. Rao, a release said intake wells, water treatment plants, pipelines and pump sets were almost complete. Several villages were drawing drinking water, while in some places, water was also supplied through taps. By the end of next month, villages should get bulk water supply. Any problems arising out of the bulk supply would be resolved by June 10.

Asking officials to finish work in villages before Vijayadasami in October, Mr. Rao said procurement of pipes and taps should be carried out in advance so that there is no delayin fixing them.

Mr. Rao said with the the completion of the scheme, the government was not only fulfilling a promise made to people, but also ensuring their health. Highlighting the fluoride problem in Munugode and Devarakonda constituencies of Nalgonda district, Mr. Rao said supply of drinking water to the two constituencies should be a priority. A special action plan should be prepared for districts such as Adilabad, Asifabad, Bhoopalpally and Mahbubabad, which have agency and remote villages. Hence, workers there should be given an incentive, as hiring may be difficult. He also highlighted that transportation of materials to remote places was would be difficult. The Chief Minister also wanted water to be supplied to 10 or 15 inaccessible hamlets inhabited by Chenchu tribe in Atchampet constituency. Local resources should be identified, where reverse osmosis (RO) plants would be set up.

The meeting was attended by Mission Bhagirath vice-chairman V. Prashant Reddy and officials of rural water supply.