HYDERABAD: Amid talk of possible bypoll to Nalgonda Lok Sabha segment as the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is said to be considering this bypoll option to test waters to know about his government’s popularity among people, the state government has decided to expedite Mission Bhagiratha works to provide potable water to the fluoride-hit Devarakonda and Munugode Assembly constituencies in Nalgonda district by October end. KCR told officials concerned to supply purified water under Mission Bhagiratha to these villages.

Majority villages in Devarakonda and Munugode constituencies are worst affected areas of fluoride waters. There is no access to people in these villages for potable drinking water, despite HC order issued to the then government in the erstwhile united state to supply clean and fluoride-free drinking water to villages in Nalgonda district way back in 2001. In order to provide a relief to the people in these two constituencies, works relating to construction of overhead tanks and laying of pipelines in villages have been put on fast-track mode.

“I believe safe drinking water would be supplied to every household in the two constituencies by October end,” Energy minister G Jagadish Reddy said. In fact, an amount of `1,500 crore is being spent to provide drinking water to the fluoride-hit villages in Nalgonda district. Of this total amount, 50 per cent is borne by the Centre and the remaining 50 per cent is being borne by the state government.

Mission Bhagiratha works expedited

• Mission Bhagiratha is aimed at providing piped drinking water to 25,000 habitations
•  At present, safe drinking watert is being supplied to 3,431 villages
• 5,443 villages, including those fall under Devarakonda and Munugode segments, would be covered by October-end.
• 6,006 villages would be supplied potable water by Nov end

Remaining 9,345 villages will be provided safe drinking water by Dec end
High levels of bicarbonate

• Permissible limit of fluoride in water is 1mg per litre. In Nalgonda district, it is 7mg per litre
• Reasons for high level of fluoride in groundwater in Devarakonda, Munugode are the low calcium content of rocks and soil and the presence of high levels of bicarbonate in soil and waters

*Original article online at http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2017/sep/25/water-to-be-provided-to-fluoride-hit-areas-soon-1662295.html

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