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Tadepalli struggles with water problem

The locals are upset that earlier they would get a plentiful supply of water but now they were forced to purchase drinking water.

Guntur: Tadepalli, the entry point of the new capital city of Amaravati, which has a population of 54,362 people, is having a drinking water problem despite being situated on the banks of the Krishna river. The influx of people to the place increased after the announcement of the new capital but the water supply was not increased accordingly. The locals are upset that earlier they would get a plentiful supply of water but now they were forced to purchase drinking water.

The locals lament that Guntur city, situated at a distance of 34 km, Tenali situated at a distance of 29 km and Mangalagiri, situated at a distance of 9 km, are getting water directly from the Krishna river but the Tadepalli people cannot quench their thirst.

The Tadepalli municipality supplies protected water from the Krishna river and borewells to 3,851 household connections, 513 public taps and usable water in slums through 196 hand bores. Locals L. Sivakrishna and others said the water pumping station on the banks of the Krishna river supplies water to Guntur city at a distance of 34 km. Krishna water is supplied to Mangalagiri, Tenali and other areas through pipelines and the Buckingham canal.

They said that there is a new pipeline installation from Krishna river to the proposed AIIMS at Mangalagiri to supply water for the construction works of AIIMS and regretted that there are no plans to quench the thirst of Tadepalli with Krishna river water.

Residents U. Achamma and others pointed out that water is supplied for only one hour per day, that too with a slow flow, sometimes once in two days. They said that they were forced to purchase drinking water despite residing beside the river.

Meanwhile, Tadepalli municipal officials are supplying 3 million litres of water per day against 5 million litres per day demand. Tadepalli municipality commissioner B. Siva Reddy said the proposals were prepared with Rs 54 crore expenditure for the new Tadepalli water scheme. He said that an 'infiltration well' will be constructed on the banks of Krishna river at Prakasam Barrage and water would be directly supplied and stored in overhead reserve tanks.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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