Guntur Collector Urges Immediate Focus on Water Quality
The collector noted that urban expansion and population growth were intensifying challenges related to both the availability and quality of groundwater
VIJAYAWADA: Guntur district collector A. Tameem Ansariya has underlined the urgent need to accord top priority to water quality and to proactively safeguard it against future challenges, particularly in rapidly urbanising regions.
She was speaking at a one-day workshop on “Aquifer mapping and management plan for Guntur, Amaravati, and Vijayawada urban agglomerationsdata dissemination and utilisation”, organised at the district collectorate on Friday.
The workshop was conducted under the aegis of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), southern region, Hyderabad, as part of the Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (AMP) 2.0. Its objective was to disseminate scientifically generated groundwater data and enable district-level departments to use it effectively in planning and decision-making.
The collector noted that urban expansion and population growth were intensifying challenges related to both the availability and quality of groundwater. She lauded the CGWB for undertaking a comprehensive scientific study of the Guntur and Amaravati urban clusters. She stressed the need to integrate village-level hydrogeological data into district planning, water conservation initiatives, and regulated groundwater use strategies.
Explaining the programme's goals, CGWB Southern Region scientist T. Madhav emphasised that interdepartmental coordination was crucial for sustainable groundwater management, especially in fast-growing urban agglomerations such as Guntur, Amaravati, and Vijayawada.
The collector formally released the comprehensive CGWB report on the occasion. An interactive session followed, focusing on the practical use of aquifer maps and management plans in policy decisions, development planning, groundwater recharge, and conservation measures.
The workshop was attended by CGWB scientist Perika Yadaiah, deputy director of the groundwater and water audit department D. Vandanam, DDWMA project director V. Shankar, horticulture department deputy director Ravindrababu, public health superintendent engineer Srinivas, and officials from irrigation, town planning, municipal corporations, and other departments.