BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today asked the urban development department to ensure supply of pipe water to all families residing in towns and cities of the state by March 2019.
Besides, the chief minister also directed the department to take steps to increase the per capita use of drinking water to 70 litres in urban areas of the state by March 2019.
The chief minister gave the directions while reviewing the steps taken by the department to supply piped drinking water to residents in urban areas.
He asked the department to conduct a house to house survey in the urban areas of the state and identify families who have no pipe water facility.
According to official sources, 760 projects are being implemented in the state at a cost of `3,596 crore to supply drinking water in urban local bodies of Odisha.
Official sources said 422 areas in 24 urban localities in the state where there is water scarcity have been identified by the state government.
As many as 1,869 PVC tanks have been put up to store and supply drinking water.
Besides, 219 water tankers have also been engaged in these areas to provide water.
The department has also constituted ward level committees for proper management of drinking water supply.
A 24-hour control room has been set up to monitor water supply and swiftly address any complaints regarding delay and non-supply of water.

Congress, BJP now contest on water scarcity issue days ahead of SMC.
Summary: SHIMLA: Both the BJP and the Congress have been trying to woo the voters in Shimla using the water shortage issue ahead of the municipal corporation elections that is scheduled on Friday.
Singh said in order to ensure round the clock water availability in Shimla, government has resolved to implement Rs 100 crore another scheme shortly.
He added that the scheme for Satluj river is being funded by World Bank.
He said in order to cater to the needs of a population of 1.9 lakh people in Shimla, state government has already approved Rs 410 crore scheme that would be implemented soon.
SHIMLA: Both the BJP and the Congress have been trying to woo the voters in Shimla using the water shortage issue ahead of the municipal corporation elections that is scheduled on Friday.
While opposition leader Prem Kumar Dhumal has promised to find a permanent solution to the problem of water scarcity , chief minister Virbhadra Singh has claimed to soon implement the Rs 410 crore scheme to lift water from Satluj While addressing mediapersons in Shimla, Dhumal alleged that during previous BJP regime, the scheme to lift water from Satluj river was approved but later the Congress government did not make required efforts to implement the scheme.
Dhumal recalled that the Congress and the CPI(M) were responsible for the supply and distribution of water in the state last year when around 20,000 persons were affected by jaundice while 32 died by jaundice after the consumption of contaminated water.He said a four-year-old boy from Shimla was murdered and his body was dumped in the water tank from where water was supplied to VIP area for judges.
He added that the scheme for Satluj river is being funded by World Bank.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/cong-bjp-now-contest-on-water-scarcity-issue-days-ahead-of-smc/articleshow/59151568.cms Subscribe to Shimla News

Mamata condemns Sirsa, Verma’s ‘pitiful’ approach to Kejriwal.
Soon after West Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Parvesh Verma and BJP- SAD MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa accosted Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal for an appointment to discuss water scarcity issue in the national capital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while condemning their ‘unfortunate’ behaviour said such an approach is not good for democracy.
Speaking to media here post her party’s stupendous lead in the recent civic polls, Banerjee asserted that this kind of behaviour will not be accepted, adding that any internal matter between the two state governments should be resolved through official dialogue.
she asked.
Mamata further stated that the AAP convener has clarified the matter and water will be available, starting tomorrow.
"I have also had water problems in the state.
Carrying the allegations forward, Parvesh Verma questioned Kejriwal saying he is accountable to the people of Delhi and cannot run away for long.
"His interest lies in unwanted politics.
He has time to meet the West Bengal Chief Minister, but not his own cabinet MLAs and representatives," he said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

"My government is attaching priority to the drinking water supply programme," said Naveen.
The chief minister directed the officials to make provisions for 100 per cent piped water supply in 112 urban local bodies on war footing.
At present, 79 per cent people in the urban areas are getting piped water.
Steps will be taken to receive public grievances through mobile phones.
About one per cent of 4.39 lakh-odd tube wells are lying defunct.
Repair of 463 defunct piped water supply projects are also going on.
On February 24, Naveen directed officials to complete maintenance of drinking water projects by March 31.
The extension officers were assigned to monitor water supply in every panchayat and asked to submit the report to block development offic-ers.
These are municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur and the municipalities in Puri, Baripada, Balasore and Bhadrak.
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NZC meeting: Rajnath advises CMs.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday advised all the Chief Ministers to ensure “comfortable environment” for Kashmiri students and workers in their states as there have been incidents of their harassment at some places.
The advisory came after a group of Kashmiris studying at Mewar University in Rajasthan’s Chhittorgarh district were last month allegedly thrashed by a group of unidentified locals.
The accused were arrested a few days later.
Secretary of the Inter-state Council Secretariat, Sanjeevani Kutty, while talking to the mediapersons here on Friday said, “The Union Minister has advised all the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries at the NZC meet that they should take care of the youth of Kashmir, wherever they are studying and they should be treated well and should be made feel welcomed.” “The Home Minister has told the State authorities that the Kashmiris should be provided comfortable environment wherever they are…
They may be working or studying, they should be extended warmth.
This was an important message he gave to all the representatives present from different State Governments in the meeting,” she said.
She added, “The Minister stressed that all youth of India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari are our own children and should be treated accordingly.” Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, said, “A lot of Kashmiris are studying outside the state of Kashmir, especially in the northern region.
There have been some incidents which the central government was very concerned about and sought the support of CMs on this issue.” Besides Rajnath Singh, those who attended the meeting included Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore, who is also Chandigarh’s Administrator, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Punjab Chief Minister Capt.
In a major step forward, all the member states unanimously agreed to jointly tackle the problem of water pollution under the guidance of Central Pollution Control Board, she said.

chandigarh, May 12 The northern states today unanimously agreed to jointly tackle the problem of water pollution as per the guidance of the central pollution control board. This was decided at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC), chaired by Union home minister Rajnath Singh and attended by chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab, deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, several ministers of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi. There are interstate problem of effluents generated from industrial areas as well as from sewage from towns draining in rivers Yamuna and Ghaggar as well as canals of Rajasthan. In a major step forward, all member states unanimously agreed to jointly tackle the problem of water pollution under the guidance of central pollution control board, an official statement said. For export promotion of fruits, flowers and vegetables, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has sanctioned projects to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. The states were urged to try to settle the contentious…

Chandigarh, May 12 (PTI) The northern states today unanimously agreed to jointly tackle the problem of water pollution as per the guidance of the central pollution control board. This was decided at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC), chaired by Union home minister Rajnath Singh and attended by chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab, deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, several ministers of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi. There are interstate problem of effluents generated from industrial areas as well as from sewage from towns draining in rivers Yamuna and Ghaggar as well as canals of Rajasthan. In a major step forward, all member states unanimously agreed to jointly tackle the problem of water pollution under the guidance of central pollution control board, an official statement said. For export promotion of fruits, flowers and vegetables, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has sanctioned projects to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. The states were urged to try to settle the contentious matters…

Nation should treat Kashmiris decently: Rajnath.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that students and youth of Kashmir wherever they are in the country should be treated nicely and decently and provided comfortable environment.
Rajnath said this while attending the Northern Zonal Council meeting here on Friday.
The 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council consisted of the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Rajnath.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Haryana and Punjab, Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh, Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Ministers of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi as well as the senior officers from Central and state Governments.
The Zonal Council discussed and deliberated upon 18 items of common interest among the member states.
The major items discussed were ‘Need for fiscal and infrastructural harmony in Northern States, Joint efforts for export of fruits, flowers and vegetables from the states, sharing of water of various rivers of the region and also hydropower among states, controlling pollution in the region by setting up Common Effluent Treatment Plants and Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) for disposal of hazardous waste, contamination of water in canals of Rajasthan off-taking from Harike Barrage and setting up of mini hydel projects on Bhakra Main Line Canal at 27 Sites with total 63.75 MW of power in Punjab.
The five Zonal Councils were set up under the States Reorganization Act, 1956 to foster Inter-state cooperation and coordination among the states.
Nine meetings of various zonal councils and 11 meetings of their Standing Committees have been held since 2015.
Overall 699 issues were discussed in these meetings and 345 have been resolved.

YSR Congress leaders and people from several municipal divisions in the Kurnool Municipal Corporation took out a huge rally carrying empty plastic pitchers from the district party office and staged a demonstration at the Collectorate here on Monday deploring the acute drinking water scarcity.
Ramaiah, Kurnool constituency in charge Hafeez Khan and secretary Narasimha Yadav led the rally and demonstration.
‘Water diverted’ All the 51 municipal divisions in Kurnool were reeling under water scarcity, but the Ministers and officials were not initiating any remedial measures, Ms. Charitha Reddy alleged.
The MLA attributed the scarcity to storage of less than one tmcft of water in Gajuladinne project having a capacity of 4.50 tmcft and lack of storage in the summer storage tank.
Officials were discriminating against the 14 municipal divisions in the erstwhile Kallur panchayat in Panyam constituency and supplying water once in 10 days, as against alternate day supply in other municipal divisions in Kurnool city, she alleged.
Water was being released after midnight in areas inhabited by poorer sections and they had to spend sleepless nights to fill a few pitchers of water, he added.
Gundrevula project The YSRC leaders submitted a representation to Collector S. Satyanarayana and sought construction of Gundrevula project and another summer storage tank in Kurnool.
They said water could be drawn from the Pandikona reservoir and wanted desilting of the wells in the Tungabhadra river course.
They sought alternate day water supply in Kurnool and Kallur.
The Collector assured them of resolving the water problem by discussing with irrigation superintending engineer Chandrasekhar Reddy and municipal commissioner S. Ravindra Babu.

Lokesh Show Outsmarted Jabardast!.
YSR Congress party MLA from Nagari and actress R K Roja does not want to give up any chance to attack Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh.
Particularly, she has started targeting Lokesh of late, making fun of his speeches and comments.
And on Thursday, Roja went a step ahead and described Lokesh as a stand-up comedian seen in reality shows like Jabardast, telecast by ETV.
Roja, who anchors the programme and witnesses several comedians doing skits to entertain the audiences, feels Lokesh is no way inferior to them.
“In fact, Lokesh show in public has outsmarted Jabardast programme on TV,” she commented, referring to the recent goof-ups of the TDP general secretary.
“When there were several seniors and experienced people in the TDP, Naidu has given cabinet berth to his son, who cannot speak proper Telugu and does not differentiate between Vardhanti and Jayanti (death and birth anniversaries),” she said.
Referring to the reports that Lokesh was contemplating filing cases against those who are making negative comments against him in social media, Roja said if at all cases have to be filed, they should be done against Lokesh.
“In his speech, Lokesh said he would bring water scarcity to the people (instead of mitigating water scarcity).
Immediately, his father-in-law Balakrishna implemented the promise in Hindupur, which is now struggling for drinking water,” she said.