Seethakka Orders Early Summer Water Plan for Rural Telangana

Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D. Anasuya Seethakka has directed officials to begin preparations well ahead of summer to avert drinking water shortages in rural Telangana, pointing to the likely impact of El Nino conditions.

Chairing a regional review of the Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply departments at the Rangareddy District Collectorate on Saturday, she noted that 19 reservoirs currently supply drinking water to the erstwhile Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy and Medak districts.

While storage in most of these reservoirs is adequate, Singur is holding less water than required. The Minister called for a special officer to monitor supply in the area and said efforts to divert water from Nizamsagar to Singur should be speeded up.

Singur presently has reserves for roughly 54 days. By drawing on local water sources, the department expects to stretch availability to about 75 days.

Ms. Seethakka also instructed officials to set up three-member Drinking Water Management Committees in every mandal. These panels are to assess available water, identify alternative sources and give particular attention to tribal areas and Chenchu hamlets.

With farm activity expected to fall because of dry conditions, she said eligible families should be given work under the rural employment guarantee scheme. Around ₹6,000 crore is available under the programme, and officials were told to channel the funds into infrastructure and water conservation works.

The review also covered rural infrastructure. Of the 5,118 gram panchayats in the State without their own buildings, works on 3,269 structures have reached 70% completion, against ₹1,000 crore sanctioned by the government. The remaining buildings are to be finished this year.

Buildings for women's groups are coming up in 8,000 villages at a cost of ₹800 crore, with those works in their final stages, the Minister said.