Hans News Service Rajamahendravaram

“Truedevelopment is achieved not merely through construction activities but by improving basic infrastructure and bringing meaningful change in people’s lives”, Deputy Chief Minister Konidela Pawan Kalyan said on Thursday. He stressed the need to instil confidence and provide security for the future of citizens. He was speaking while virtually inaugurating and laying foundation stones for several development works in the Razole constituency. A major drinking water project constructed at a cost of Rs 17.33 crore at Antarvedi was inaugurated on the occasion. He also laid the foundation stone for rapid sand filter units with a capacity of 6 million litres, being taken up with Rs 5 crore from ONGC funds.

Pawan Kalyan stated that the newly launched drinking water scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission would benefit around 30,000 people in 13 villages. As part of the project, a 10-acre pond has been developed along with a water treatment plant having a capacity of 3 million litres and an overhead tank. Water will be pumped from the Gannavaram canal and stored in the pond for supply.

He noted that earlier, drinking water had to be supplied from Antarvedipalem, located about 12 kilometres away, and had to pass through nearly 50 villages, leading to severe shortages. He said the long-standing drinking water problems faced by the region for nearly three decades would now be resolved. The Deputy Chief Minister further said that once the rapid sand filter units at Gudimellanka are completed with ONGC CSR funds, safe drinking water would be supplied to nearly 1.2 lakh people across 29 villages.

Referring to the goals of the Jal Jeevan Mission introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is committed to providing 55 litres of safe drinking water per person per day. District in-charge minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, Razole MLA Deva Varaprasad, Konaseema District Collector R Mahesh Kumar and officials of the rural water supply department were present.