Vizianagaram district stares at looming drinking water crisis

VISAKHAPATNAM: The additional joint collector, Vizianagaram , J Seetha Rama Rao, conducted a review meeting with all mandal officials on Saturday evening regarding the looming drinking water crisis in Vizianagaram district .


The joint collector said that the water crisis is likely to affect all 34 mandals and major municipalities such as Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram and Bobbili, apart from the eight mandals which are said to be critical.

During the conference on Saturday, the additional joint collector observed that the drinking water crisis in the district was going to be a difficult one. The Vizianagaram municipality , which was supposed to be upgraded as a corporation has been the most badly hit.

According to sources in the municipality, the composite water requirement is 36 million litres of water per day for the entire population of around 3 lakh people. However, only 13 million litres is being supplied at the moment. The situation is quite bad in Bobbili and Parvathipuram as well. Speaking to the mandal authorities, the additional joint collector said, “Eight mandals have been identified as critical and out of these five have a large tribal population living up-hill.”

With many of the reservoirs going dry, especially Tatipudi in the Vizianagaram division, the situation is likely to worsen till monsoon arrives. Sources further pointed out major reservoirs such as the Tatipudi have gone dry and are hitting rock bottom. This could also affect many villages in the Vizianagaram division, where people are still dependent on tank water for drinking purposes.