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Steps to combat water scarcity

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE MARCH 3. A meeting to discuss the scarcity of drinking water in the district convened at the Collectorate here today has chalked out a set of measures to combat the situation, in the backdrop of the impending summer season.

Presidents and secretaries of grama panchayats besides officials of the Kerala Water Authority and related departments participated in the meeting.

A sum of Rs. 70 lakhs has been earmarked for initiating urgent measures for the supply of drinking water. A major anomaly noted here was the non-issuance of power connections by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), for mini-drinking water projects in the district, which needed to be cleared on an urgent basis. A representation to the Board would be made in this regard, it was decided.

The meeting directed that where need be, the pipelines and taps ought to be replaced by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). The RDO and the ADM have been entrusted with the task of overseeing the functioning of tubewells with the assistance of the Ground Water department. Besides, cleaning of ponds and public wells are also to be taken up. The Tribal Development Department was to oversee the supply of drinking water in tribal settlements, besides supply through tankers by the Panchayat and Revenue departments in water-starved pockets.

The need to decrease the rate of water tariff collected by the panchayat, which now was equivalent to the industrial rate was highlighted at the meeting.

The District Collector, T. O. Sooraj, presided. The District Panchayat president, M. K. Nalini, the ADM, Mohammed Sageer, the Kerala Water Authority engineers, T. C. Subran and P.V.Gopinath, the principal agriculture officer, M. N. Balan, participated in the deliberations.

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