The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Councillors find fault with official on water levels

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Friday, Aug 22, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Councillors find fault with official on water levels

Correspondent

Complain to in-charge Chairperson at council meeting

VIZIANAGARAM: Municipal councillors, notwithstanding party affiliation, have taken exception to a statement of Srinivasa Rao, Deputy Executive Engineer of the municipality, on the supply of drinking water in the town. According to the statement, the regular water supply, instead of alternate days, will be restored only after the water levels at the sources improved.

During question hour of the council meeting on Thursday, The DEE said that the water levels at the sources had not improved due to ‘deficit rainfall’ in the catchment area. (The official figures put the average rainfall for the district till date at 483.1 mm against 407.9 mm). Further, the DEE maintained that at Thatipudi reservoir the levels dropped to 286 feet from 292 feet (actually the level improved from 286 feet to 292 feet during the recent rain) and at Mushidipalli it was 14 feet.

Sand quarrying

Not satisfied with the reply on the supply position, councillors complained to in-charge Chairperson Avanapu Suribabu that the official was ‘misleading’ the council when the average rainfall recorded was plus 18.4 per cent variation against the normal and demanded that Commissioner S.S. Verma inform the members about the steps taken on illegal sand quarrying that had been going on unchecked at Ramatheerthalu drinking water source in the River Champavati for many months now. The Commissioner said that the Collector was informed about it and some trucks were seized in the past. Lenka Mohan (Congress) said that the officials were unwilling to comment on the erratic power supply at the pump house as that was the reason for irregular supply.

Hence, the statement of the DEE on rainfall was deceptive, he said. The in-charge Chairperson asked the Commissioner to take water levels at all the sources and submit a report to him in the next two days for a decision on regular supply of water.

On week-long sanitation drive that began on August 7, A. Vasudeva Rao (TDP) said that in a number of wards it was not observed. As a result, garbage piled up. The Commissioner said that due to shortage of staff the drive was not successful and the garbage clearance would continue in the days ahead.

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