By: V. V. Balakrishna
With the Niti Aayog agreeing in principle to fund Mission Bhagiratha, the prestigious water grid project aimed at supplying drinking water to every village in Telangana, the State government has sent a proposal with detailed project report (DPR) to the Central government seeking a financial assistance of Rs 35,000 crore over the next four years.
The Niti Ayog has agreed to fund Mission Bhagiratha as part of the Central government’s commitment under the AP Reorganisation Act to fund the development of backward areas in the State. The State government has sent the proposal after consultations with the Union ministers and officials concerned at the Niti Aayog. “The DPR was prepared long back and we updated it with the latest developments,” an official in the Mission Bhagiratha told.
“All the ground works like preparing the designs have been completed. The project will be implemented from January onwards,” an official source explained.
The officials are planning to lay around 1,000 km pipeline each in January and February. Simultaneously, the intra-village network will also be developed. Once, the main pipeline is ready, then there will be no problem in supplying drinking water to the people instantly, the official sources explained.
Internet to All Villages
The officials at Mission Bhagiratha said that they have consulted the BSNL officials to lay internet cables along with the Mission Bhagiratha pipelines. The BSNL has appointed a consultant and they would come with their proposals soon. “We are digging around 12 feet deep trenches to lay pipelines for the Mission Bhagiratha pipelines. The BSNL officials may require around 5 feet trenches. If they come with their blueprint, the Mission Bhagiratha contractors will help the BSNL to lay their cable, which will ensure internet connectivity to every village in the state,” an official explained.
Health Parameters
According to sources, the Mission Bhagiratha officials will also collect data regarding the health parameters in the state. “We will collect the health parameters before supplying safe drinking water and after the implementation of Mission Bhagiratha,” an official explained. The ultimate aim of Mission Bhagiratha is to improve the health standards in the state, the official added.
Source: The New Indian Express