KTR reviews RWS, PR Depts activities

Hyderabad, June 6 : Telangana Panchayat Raj minister K Tarakarama Rao has conducted a detailed review of the activities of the Rural Water Supply and Panchayat Raj Departments.

The meeting, held on Thursday, was attended by Principal Secretary J Raymond Peter and other senior officials. The officials informed that of the 27,139 habitations in Telangana inhabited by 2.15 crore people, 13,156 habitations do not have adequate drinking water supply. Around 41.20 per cent habitations have been covered so far. Karimnagar district is the least covered under the RWS at 28.26 per cent.

The officials said that around 1847 habitations have fluoride problem and need to be addressed at the earliest. Of 20,000 single village schemes, around 3,500 schemes need to be completed at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The department was asked to identify all such schemes and ensure that such schemes are covered on top priority. Around 200 Comprehensive Protected water supply schemes, which have completed at a cost of around Rs 500 crore, need to be made functional on top priority.

The minister said that the department should take all out steps to identify all such habitations, which have not been covered under any of the PWS schemes. The departments have been asked to come up with a plan to improve the sustainability of the PWS schemes by taking up water harvesting and conversation structures. An integrated comprehensive approach needs to be taken up for the fluoride-affected villages in Nalgonda district, he said.

KTR said that to save power and cost of maintenance, solar power units may be examined and proposals prepared for government to take a policy decision. It has also been decided to expedite the grounding and completion of sanitary latrines 6.45 lakh (BPL), 0.50 lakh (APL), community sanitary complex (176) taken up under the Nirmal Bharat Abhyan Scheme. The computerization of panchayat’s to be expedited and making them a hub for service delivery like the Mee Seva centers, he said.

It has also been decided to constitute a Task force for rural water supply to plan out a strategy for the RWS.  INN