BHUBANESWAR: With the temperature soaring and several parts of the State starting to experience drinking water scarcity, the State Government on Tuesday directed District Collectors and Panchayati Raj Department to ensure adequate supply of water in areas facing such crisis.“There should be no scarcity of drinking water, actual or perceived, in any part of the State during summer,” Chief Secretary Aditya Padhi told District Collectors during video conferencing.Collectors have been delegated with powers of drilling new tube-wells, digging sanitary wells and repair and maintenance of all drinking water sources.
Sufficient funds have been kept in all the panchayats for this purpose.
The rate of contract for procurement of spare parts has also been finalised and block-level committees under the leadership of BDOs have been formed for procurement of materials, Padhi said.
The Chief Secretary asked Collectors to utilise funds at their disposal for engaging water tankers in most difficult areas where drinking water need of the people could not be met from existing sources.
Each block will have a control room and a nodal officer will be designated for each panchayat to monitor drinking water supply.
Sarpanchs have been directed to take stock of the situation at village-level every Friday while BDOs will review the situation every Saturday.
District Collectors will review drinking water availability every Tuesday and report to the State Government by Wednesday afternoon every week.
Secretary in Housing and Urban Development Department G Mathivathnan said control rooms have been made operational in all the urban local bodies (ULBs) from Tuesday.
The ULBs have been asked to complete maintenance of all drinking water sources before March-end and upload data on the daily water supply situation in the official website of the department for public viewing.
Mathivathnan said the department has already issued standard operating procedure (SOP) to all ULBs with a direction to follow it scrupulously.The Chief Secretary further directed to complete formation of ward-level water and sanitation committees in each ULB and identify water monitors, preferably from among women self help groups.