Sameer Shukla, Deputy Commissioner, and chairman, District Task Force on Drinking Water, has directed the Ballari City Corporation authorities to initiate steps to disconnect illegal and unauthorised water connections in all the wards.
Presiding over a meeting to review the preparedness to tackle a likely drinking water crisis in summer here on Friday, he expressed concern over drinking water being released once in five days in the city.
Suspecting unauthorised tapping of rising mains as the main reason for this, Mr. Shukla wanted the corporation officials to carryout a ward-wise survey and disconnect unauthorised and illegal connections expeditiously in phases.
“If proper steps are taken to regulate drinking water distribution, including disconnection of illegal connections, it is possible to supply water once in two days and I want the officials to initiate steps in this regard,” he said.
Chief officers of urban local bodies informed the meeting that water was being supplied once in two days in their respective areas.
However, Mr. Shukla instructed the Project Director of District Urban Development Cell to conduct a survey of the existing facilities for supplying drinking water and also about the need to drill borewells wherever necessary and submit a report.
Referring to the supply of drinking water in rural areas in the district, Mr. Shukla wanted the officials of the Panchayati Raj institutions to be prepared with the action plan to over come the likely crisis of drinking water during summer.
Informing that Rs. 3.6 crore was available to tackle drinking water crisis in summer, he instructed officials to prepare a list of villages that were likely to face drinking water crisis, along with the number of borewells – functioning and defunct – among other details so that appropriate steps, including flushing, hydro-blasting and the like could be taken up immediately and if necessary, new borewells could be drilled. “A detailed plan should be ready by April 10,” he said.
Mr. Shukla also instructed the tahsildar to convene a meeting of Executive Officer, Chief Officer and officials of the departments to review the drinking water problem once a week.
He informed the officials to submit a detailed report for acquisition of land for implementing multi-village drinking water schemes to enable the district administration to take suitable action.
