A delegation from Maharashtra led by its Minister for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Baban Rao Lonikar arrived here on Saturday to study the Mission Bhagiratha project being implemented in Telangana to supply piped drinking water to every household.
The delegation had a meeting with the project officials and engineers on the first day, where Engineer-in-Chief of RWS B. Surender Reddy gave a power point presentation on the status of the drinking water grid project. He explained to the visiting team that the project was designed based on the contour levels of water scarcity areas and the geography of the State and that 90 per cent of water supply would be done through gravity.
On the implementation, the ENC stated that transparency in the tendering process had enabled only the financially strong agencies take up the works and they would also be responsible for maintenance of the works done for the next 10 years. Further, he said the government was planning to give incentives to the agencies which would complete works before deadline and impose heavy penalties on the agencies that would delay works.
The Maharashtra delegation enquired about the system to be adopted in maintenance and supervision of the project. The Maharashtra Minister said they were examining taking up a water project on the lines of Mission Bhagiratha for Marathwada area that faced severe drought conditions last year and the government had to transport drinking water from Rajasthan and Gujarat in trains.
Pat for the authorities
The visiting team complimented the Mission Bhagiratha authorities for getting critical clearances from forest, railways and national highways in the shortest possible time. The team would examine the project works in the field in Medak and Nizamabad segments on Sunday.
Advisor to Government Gnaneshwar, Chief Engineers Suresh Kumar, Krupakar Reddy and Jaganmohan Reddy and others were among those with whom the visiting team interacted.
