The IITian solved decade-old problem in three years
Industrialist Anand Mahindra has lauded IAS officer D. Krishna Bhaskar for his remarkable strides in water conservation in Telangana’s Rajanna-Sircilla district. Bhaskar’s strategy, which boosted groundwater levels by six metres in less than four years, has been incorporated into the training curriculum at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Mahindra referred to Bhaskar’s achievements as “astonishing.” “He gives us hope that none of our problems are insurmountable,” Mahindra wrote, calling Bhaskar his “Monday Motivation.”
When Bhaskar assumed the role of district collector in 2016, he was confronted with severe water shortages in the predominantly drought-prone region. Undeterred, he introduced a series of measures — repairing water tanks, building reservoirs, desilting smaller water bodies, and enhancing overall water storage capacity. These initiatives have driven a 150 per cent uptick in agricultural activity and contributed to cleaner drinking water access under the Mission Bhagiratha project. The numbers are telling: Bhaskar’s team restored around 699 water tanks, of which 450 were replenished within just one year.
Bhaskar received Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, he was recognized for the effective execution of the Government of India’s Mission Indradhanush in Siddipet district, Telangana.
