Water crisis: CM Chandrababu Naidu gives directions

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday instructed the officials to take necessary steps for supplying drinking water to the public based on shortage in all areas across the state.

Participating in a teleconference,  Mr Naidu said that water kiosks should be set up and officials should create awareness on sunstroke. The health department should also take an active role and medicines should be distributed to avoid sunstroke along with required precautions.

He said that the officials should focus on drawing water from tanks, tributaries, and small canals instead of supplying water through water tankers. Already instructions have been given for developing water bodies across the state for drinking water purpose, he added

On this occasion, the officials were also directed to complete the target of 10 lakhs farm ponds within the next three months. The CM said that only 1.5 lakh farm ponds have been completed so far. The farmers who have more than five acres where the soil is rocky  then machinery could be used for creating farm ponds, he said.

Mr Naidu said that  the officials should appoint mandal resource committees for deciding the harvesting structures. The CM directed the officials to implement plans successfully for making the state drought free.

The CM also instructed the officials to monitor sand operations and take necessary steps to avoid sand smuggling to other states. He said that collectors, joint collectors, RDO and MROs should take up responsibility at all levels to control illegal sand operations. Ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, P. Pulla Rao and several officials were present during the teleconference.