Chief Secretary AP Padhi has directed that there should be no scarcity of drinking water either actual or perceived during the ongoing summer in the State.
Padhi gave directions over a videoconferencing on Tuesday here while reviewing the progress of drinking water projects in rural and urban areas with district Collectors and officials of the Drinking Water Supply department.
Further Padhi said the Collectors have been delegated with all powers for drilling of new tube wells, sanitary wells and repair and maintenance of all drinking water sources. Sufficient funds have been kept in respective Panchayats for the purpose. The rate contract for procurement of spare parts has also been finalized. There is a bloc level committee under the chairmanship of BDO for procurement of materials. The Collectors should pull these resources and ensure adequate supply of drinking water in all areas.
Panchayati Raj Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh clarified that the Government instructions have already been issued during February regarding drinking water management in water scarcity and partially covered villages. It has been instructed that while drilling new tube wells, care should be taken for 100 per cent coverage of all partially covered villages on saturation mode. Singh further mentioned that making the existing sources functional was more important than creating new sources.
Padhi instructed that all SEMs should act proactively for repair and maintenance of the existing drinking water sources. The Collectors were asked to disengage those SEMs who do not perform as per the level of expectation and substitute them by the new ones. They were also advised to engage mobile repair vans with clear branding in Odia “ Pani Jala Jogana Maramati Gadi” in each block and prepare a proper route chart for movement of the vehicle touching all Panchayats.
The district and block officers were further asked to engage water tankers in most difficult areas where the interventions are not adequate to cater the drinking water need. In that case there should be two types of tankers- one static tanker at key location of the village and the second type is vehicle mounted mobile water supply.
The Chief Secretary directed to supply water twice in a day once during morning and once during the evening hours.
All blocks will designate nodal officers for each Panchayat and there would be a 24 hour control room at the block level. The Sarpanch of the respective Panchayat will take stock of the ground level reality on every Friday at 11 am. The BDO will review the situation on every Saturday and the Collector will take the review every Tuesday. All districts must send the report to the Government on drinking water situation by Wednesday afternoon of each week.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathivathnan made it clear that control rooms would start functioning from Tuesday in all UlBs. Preventive maintenance of all drinking water sources must be completed before March end. The Collectors were advised to monitor the daily water supply situation to each ward of all UlBs.
Chief Secretary Padhi further directed to complete formation of ward level water and sanitation committees in each UlB and identify water monitors preferably from among the Women SHGs. The Collectors were further asked to ensure issuance of outcome certificates of the newly constructed water supply projects in UlBs after actual field verification.