239 villages identified as water-starved; Mandya gears up to tackle summer crisis

All gram panchayats directed to conduct mandatory water quality tests using Field Test Kits

With 239 villages already identified as likely to face drinking water scarcity, the Mandya district administration has sounded an early alarm and rolled out an action plan to avert a water crisis during summer.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K.R. Nandini directed officials to treat the situation as a priority and ensure that no habitation is left without access to safe drinking water in the coming months. She was presiding over the District Water and Sanitation Committee meeting at the Zilla Panchayat in Mandya on Friday.

Of the 239 vulnerable villages, officials have initiated steps to identify private borewells in 206 villages to improve supply. Contingency plans are being prepared to supply water through tankers for the remaining 33 villages. Authorities have been instructed to complete all measures well before the peak of summer.

The CEO instructed all Gram Panchayats to conduct mandatory water quality tests using Field Test Kits (FTK). If water is found unfit for consumption, alternative sources must be arranged immediately.

She also directed that all purified drinking water units installed across the district be made fully operational. Units requiring repairs must be attended to without delay, and gram panchayats have been told to monitor their functioning regularly.

Further, Taluk Panchayat Executive Officers have been asked to ensure that works under the Jal Jeevan Mission are executed in strict adherence to quality standards. Each Gram Panchayat has been instructed to identify and train a dedicated waterman to oversee the operation and maintain local water supply systems.