Uravakonda constituency facing acute drinking water shortage

Uravakonda (Anantapur district): Finance minister Payyavula Keshav has promised to address drinking water problems in the constituency in all mandals, after inspecting summer storage rank in Nimbagallu village in Uravakonda mandal on Monday.

For the last couple of months, people of this constituency have been going through a grueling time of acute water scarcity. To meet the emergency situation, water tankers were pressed into service to meet day-to-day water requirements.

The Minister held an extensive meeting with the officials concerned to sort out the issue and explored short term, medium and long term plans to find a solution to the problem. He directed the officials concerned to prepare an action plan to permanently address the issue.

Payyavula Keshav, when he was an MLA between 2019-24, had raised Rs 5 crore of people’s fund and deposited with the government to find solution to drinking water issue. But the entire fund was spent by the government for purposes other than it meant for.

Minister Keshav said that they are mulling to find a way to make permanent arrangement for water supply within the next six months to one year. Water pumping into the summer storage tank was commenced from Monday.

Several problems are plaguing the water supply department including non-payment of Rs 150 crore to maintenance contractors in the district and non-payment of salaries to the department staff for over nine months. Filter beds in the storage tanks need to be replaced with rapid sound filters for which Rs 7 crore is needed. For temporary relief, at least micro-filters need to be installed.

Minister Keshav promised to tide over these challenges within a week and restore usage of summer storage tanks. Stating that drinking water scarcity is severe in all villages, he called for a status report on funds availability so that immediate steps can be taken to tide over the crisis at least temporarily.

He also visited summer storage tank in Konakondla village in Vajrakarur mandal and found the situation precarious.

RWS SE Basha and other officials were present.