GUNTUR: There is no drinking water supply to 189 villages and the Guntur district administration is trying organise it through tankers. The problem has worsened due to the drying of water tanks. 4.5 tmc ft of water was released from the Nagarjunasagar canal, but it failed to fill the ponds and the people are demanding more water to be released from the project at least for drinking water purposes.
Minister for agriculture P. Pulla Rao said that the government was taking all measures to supply drinking water and working for the release of extra water from Nagar-junasagar this summer.
Summer will be acute for the next 40 days and water ponds not filling up is worrying the people and officials. There are 238 water ponds for drinking water purposes in Guntur district of which only 73 got 90 per cent water, 68 filled 75 per cent, 140 ponds were filled below 50 per cent to 25 per cent and no water filled in 39 ponds.
The district administration had asked the government to release at least 8 tmc ft of water, but it parted with only 4.5 tmc ft. One tmc ft of water was wasted during the supply process which meant only 3 tmc ft came to Guntur district.
Bapatla, Repalle, Prattipadu, Tadikonda, Phirangipuram, Mediko-nduru, Tullur and adjacent mandals of the district headquarters were barred from getting drinking water supply. The RWS department is supplying water to 189 villages through tankers, but the locals are alleging that the supply was meagre, which was forcing them to purchase drinking water.
An official on condition of anonymity said that there were 1,022 villages in Guntur district, but the government started NTR Sujala Sravanthi to supply 20 litres of drinking water for Rs 2 to the public in only 35 areas which was forcing the public to purchase drinking water in the open market.
The people of Phirangi-puram near Guntur, P. Yalla Rao and others, lamented that drinking water had become precious due to the drying of drinking water ponds and meagre supply through tankers. They alleged that locals belonging to Phirangipuram were forced to travel 5 km to 15 km to get drinking water, paying Rs 10 to Rs 20 per bubble of 20 litres.
