Nellore: Officials of the public health department are in a fix over transporting drinking water to water-starved civic bodies in Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor districts following the failure of the Government of India to release funds to handle adverse seasonal conditions for the last three years.
Usually, the state government spends money on transportation of water and later, collects it from the GoI. However, there is no response from the Centre for the pleas of the AP for drought funds yet.
Madanapalle in Chittoor district and Giddalur in Prakasam district are the worst hit due to water scarcity and it is going to be a Herculean task for the other civic bodies also to handle the situation, if southwest monsoon fails to bring rains.
In addition to the already affected municipalities, the situation will become troublesome if monsoon fails in Palamaneru, Chittoor, Punganoor and Nagari civic bodies in Chittoor district, Nayudupeta and Sullurpeta in Nellore district and Ongole, Addanki, Chimakurthy and Kanigiri in Prakasam district.
The civic bodies have been planning to tap water from agriculture bore wells, besides deepening and flushing the existing borewells to ensure water supply in view of depleting groundwater table.
The seriously affected municipalities are in the need for financial assistance from the government to continue transportation of water.
“We have to pay nearly Rs 15 crore to those transporting drinking water to civic bodies, including Madanapalle, Giddalur, Ongole and Markapuram in the three districts and they may stop the operations if the government fails to release the amount at the earliest,” a public health official said. Water is being transported within 5-10 km radius of these civic bodies.
Referring to severe water scarcity in Madanapalle, he said water is yet to be released through Handri-Neeva canal though the canal works are completed up to Kuppam constituency, represented by the Chief Minister. The only place in the state where there is sufficient water in almost all the tanks is Anantapur, the official said, adding that Handri-Neeva would benefit the district most.
He said they had also submitted summer action plan seeking sanction of Rs 46 crore for transportation of water, drilling of borewells, repairs to pipelines, procurement of spare parts, repairs to pumpsets, etc in the civic bodies of Nellore, Chittoor and Prakasam districts. These proposals are also awaiting the EC’s nod, he added.
