TS Govt Appoints 10 Special Officers to Monitor Drinking Water Situation
Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Wednesday appointed ten special officers, all IAS, to monitor the drinking water situation in rural and urban areas across districts till the end of July.
These officers have been directed to ensure an adequate supply of drinking water to all rural and urban households every day. The move came after water levels hit dead storage levels in all projects and groundwater levels depleted due to deficit rainfall since Oct 2023, the government has explained.
Irrigation special secretary Patil Prashant Jeevan will lead the efforts for Adilabad and Nirmal districts, labour director Krishna Aditya for Asifabad and Macherial, Health director RV Karnan for Karimnagar, Jagtial, Peddapalli and Siricilla, Panchayat Raj
commissioner Anita Ramachandran for Nalgonda, Bhongir, and Suryapet, tribal welfare secretary A Sharath for Nizamabad and Kamareddy, transport special secretary B Vijendra for Rangareddy, Vikarabad and Medchal Malkajgiri, Intermediate education director Shruti Ojha for Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, Gadwal and Nagarkurnool, agriculture director B Gopi for Warangal, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Bhupalapalli, Mulugu and Mahabubabad, archaeology director Bharati Hollikeri for Medak, Sangareddy, and Siddipet, K Surendra Mohan for Khammam and Kothagudem districts.
Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari issued the orders. The special officers would visit the districts immediately to coordinate with the collectors and state-level departments and monitor the drinking water situation till the end of July 2024.
The special officers have been directed not to take leave during this period.
The state is staring at a water crisis due to deficit rainfall from Oct 2023 to March 2024. A 56.7 per cent deficit rainfall was recorded during this period. Last year, the state witnessed 53 per cent higher rainfall. This year, though a 5 per cent higher rainfall was recorded in the rainy season, there has been no rain since Oct 2023.
The normal rainfall from Oct 2023 to March 2024 should be 136.9mm but a rainfall of just 59.2mm was recorded. This resulted in a fall in water levels in all projects across the state.
The water levels in all the 14 major projects in the state, in the Krishna and Godavari basins, have hit dead storage levels. The
deficit rainfall also resulted in a depletion of groundwater levels across the state. The groundwater levels in March 2024 were below 2.5 metres, compared with March 2023.
The monsoon was erratic this year too. Between June and Oct 2023, although there were good rains, the state witnessed very heavy rainfall only in July under the impact of El Nino. Later, the state witnessed prolonged dry spells.
