The Hindu : CM announces launch of Jala Chaitanyam programme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

CM announces launch of Jala Chaitanyam programme

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD March 22. The Government on Saturday announced the launching of "Jala Chaitanyam" programme aimed at creating mass awareness about water conservation and management to mark the World Water Day.

While making the announcement in the Assembly during a short discussion, the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, said the preparatory work on the programme was taken up and the actual "jalajagruthi" campaign in villages and towns would be from April 5, the birth anniversary of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Babu Jagjivanram, to April 14, birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar.

Explaining the significance of the dates, Mr. Naidu said both leaders were champions of the poor and weaker sections. There was a close relationship between water and poverty.

He described poverty as a cause of water crisis. The poor were burdened with water-related diseases that were rampant throughout the world.

The programme was launched with different themes for all ten days of the campaign. Intensive environment building activities would be taken up from the launch date up to April 14 to engage the attention of everyone in the State on issues of water conservation and management. They include workshops at district and mandal-levels, training programmes for village-level committees and kalajathas, rallies, gramsabhas, padayatras, publicity, rythu sadassus and debates/essay writing competitions.

Discussing the water scenario in the State, Mr. Naidu said the total surface water available was 2,765 tmcft. The State received 24.44 lakh cu.mts of rainfall out of which 10.02 lakh cu.mts (41 per cent) was lost as evaporation, 9.77 lakh cu.mts (40 per cent) as surface runoff and 2.44 lakh cu.mts (10 per cent) as soil moisture retention. Only 2.19 lakh cu.mts was recharged as groundwater.

Of the total surface water available, the State used 1,821 tmcft through completed projects and 310 tmcft will be utilised from the projects likely to be completed shortly.

The available groundwater potential in command and non-command areas was in the ratio of 56:44. There was an urgent need to augment groundwater in the non-command areas which cover 85 per cent of the geographical area of the State, Mr. Naidu said.

The Chief Minister also said that the Government proposed to expand access to fresh water in the urban local bodies in future by tapping 79 million gallons a day (MGD) of water in Godavari river basin, 51 MGD in Krishna basin and 16 MGD in Penna river basin.

Normal water supply was ensured in 37 municipalities while it was restricted in 79 municipalities. Out of 44,787 borewells, 1,491 wells in urban areas have dried up.

M. Dharma Rao (BJP), Akbaruddin Owaisi (MIM), P. Srinivas Reddy, Sobha Nagi Reddy, M. Peda Rattaiah and E. Peddi Reddy (TDP), participated in the discussion.

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CM announces launch of Jala Chaitanyam programme