The Mission Bhagiratha which envisages a supply of drinking water through taps to every household found mention in the Economic Survey. The Central government that tabled the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday said Telangana was giving 100 percent treated safe drinking water to all the households while the national average stood at 57 percent.
Though some other states were also supplying treated water they accounted for only 57 percent. It was the determination and commitment of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that ensured the success of the programme.
Now, Telangana state has 53,98,219 lakh drinking water tap connections in 23,890 habitations. The State government spent Rs. 45,000 crore for the purpose. Though the Niti Aayog recommended the Central government to grant Rs.19,000 crore to Telangana state for the Mission Bhagiratha, it did not release any funds.
The Survey also found that no case of fluoride problem was recorded in Telangana state. The Mission Bhagiratha scheme bagged many awards and officials from 13 states visited Telangana to study the programme and how it was made possible.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao.