Officials asked to ensure quality of water

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has directed officials to ensure the quality of water supplied for drinking and cooking purposes.

Addressing a conference of officials convened here on Friday to discuss pre-monsoon sanitation efforts, the Chief Minister said that collective action was needed for the cleaning operations prior to monsoon. A State-level conference to work out the coordination of the efforts would be convened on May 2. It would be attended by the Chief Secretary, Secretaries, and heads of departments. District-level meetings would be held on May 5, 7, and 8. The Ministers in charge of Water Resources, Health, and Urban Affairs would attend the meeting in Ernakulam in view of the special problems in the district.

Mr. Chandy directed that local self-government institutions shoulder the responsibility of ensuring quality drinking water on the basis of the directives of the Health Department. Importance should be given to disposal of waste and cleanliness.

The conference was attended by Minister for Panchayats and Social Welfare M.K. Muneer, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, and Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali, besides representatives of local self-government institutions and officials of the departments concerned.