Hyderabad: Telangana’s Minister for Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply, Seethakka, on Wednesday, October 21, inspected the Ramappa Lake and the defluoridation project within the Venkatapuram mandal of Mulugu district.
Speaking on the occasion, she said that Ramappa Lake currently has 29 feet of water available. She said the government is examining the possibility of pumping water from the Godavari River to improve supply to lakes and surrounding areas.
Taking into account the annual interval provided to allow water storage levels to improve, she said she had requested the concerned officials to arrange for the release of water within the next two days.
The minister, recently appointed to the state Cabinet sub-committee to review drought and El Niño conditions and recommend measures to mitigate their impact, saidthe government is taking precautionary measures to prevent water scarcity.
“We will ensure there is no shortage of drinking water through regular reviews with officials,” she said.
She said steps are being taken to treat water from Ramappa Lake through the defluoridation project and supply drinking water to Mulugu, Venkatapuram, Govindaraopet, Mallampalli and surrounding areas, as well as certain areas in Bhupalpally district. Officials are monitoring water supply systems, villages dependent on lakes, and groundwater conditions, she added.
‘No politics over natural disasters’
The minister said that no force can completely control natural phenomena such as excessive rainfall and drought and that it is inappropriate to use such circumstances for political gain by criticising the Congress government.
She noted that temperature changes in the Pacific Ocean region are influencing weather patterns. What is necessary is collective action, rather than political criticism, to address natural challenges, she said.
Water conservation under employment guarantee scheme
The government is prioritising measures to conserve rainwater, including recharge pits, percolation ponds, water harvesting ponds, check dams, restoration of lakes and groundwater recharge through borewells, the minister said.
She called upon village sarpanches and residents to undertake extensive water conservation works under the Employment Guarantee Scheme and increase the number of workers engaged in these activities. She said that increasing water storage could help reduce the severity of scarcity in the future.
Top priority to drinking water
Seethakka stressed that the drinking water supply must be given the highest priority alongside irrigation needs. She urged everyone to use every drop of water carefully, avoid wastage and act responsibly.
She said that steps are being taken to develop alternative water sources, along with proposed projects such as the Ramappa–Laknavaram canal. The minister assured that drinking water supplies would be continuously monitored to prevent people from suffering due to the effects of El Niño.
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