All-party MLAs’ team to visit fluoride-hit areas on July 6, 7

Speaker Nadendla Manohar will lead a delegation of MLAs of all political parties to visit the fluoride-hit villages in Nalgonda district on July 6 and 7.

Mr. Manohar on Tuesday held detailed discussions with senior officials of tribal welfare, women’s development and child welfare, rural water supply and medical and health departments, besides the Nalgonda Collector N. Mukteswara Rao, in the Assembly. The delegation will visit five identified villages in Nagarjunasagar, Munugode and Devarakonda mandals on July 7. They will reach Nagarjunasagar on July 6 and review with officials the measures taken by the government to contain fluoride content in drinking water.

The Speaker is said to have impressed upon the officials to take up a short-term plan to provide immediate relief to the affected villagers. On the long-term strategy, various government departments would be roped in to draw an action plan to provide a permanent drinking water solution. Once the legislature delegation returns, the issue is likely to get more focus, Mr. Manohar told The Hindu on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by principal secretaries A. Vidyasagar (Tribal welfare), Vikas Raj (RWS), Neelam Sawhney (Women Development and Child Welfare) and Rana Kishore (Medical and Health), the Nalgonda Collector and Legislature Secretary S. Rajasadaram.