Public participation key to proper water use: Mandya ZP CEO | Mysuru News
Mandya: Water is one of the most essential basic amenities, and public participation is key to ensuring its judicious use, said zilla panchayat CEO KR Nandini. She emphasised the importance of raising awareness at the grassroots level to support the goals of the National Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide a 24×7 drinking water supply to rural areas. She was speaking after inaugurating a district-level one-day workshop. It focused on strengthening the role of gram panchayats in managing sustainable rural drinking water systems, implementing the Karnataka Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Programme, and officially declaring villages with uninterrupted water supply. While underlining the importance of providing essential infrastructure, Nandini said that maintaining these services is equally critical. She urged officials to ensure uninterrupted and sustainable operation of 24×7 water supply systems across villages. Expressing concern over reports of water contamination in some areas, she said untreated or impure water entering the pipeline network poses serious health risks.She directed officials to conduct a thorough inspection of water supply pipelines, submit a detailed report within a month, and recommend preventive measures to avoid further contamination. “Contaminated drinking water can become a serious threat to public health. Water quality checks must be conducted daily without fail. Any negligence in this regard will result in strict disciplinary action,” she warned.Nandini also highlighted that five villages in the district are already receiving 24-hour uninterrupted water supply on a pilot basis, with no reported issues so far. To address household-level technical issues, she proposed a skill-based employment initiative: identifying unemployed women with ITI or engineering backgrounds in each taluk, training them to handle minor plumbing or pipeline repairs, and thereby empowering them with job opportunities.
