Panchayat Raj, Minister for Rural Development and Rural Water Supply Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) emphasized the need to strengthen local water resources in remote and agency areas, especially in villages that were not yet connected to Bhagiratha Mission.
She directed officials to take up digging of open wells whenever necessary and complete the construction of check dams before the onset of monsoon under employment guarantee works. Strengthening these sources would help ensure long-term availability of water, she added.
During a video conference with concerned officials on Saturday, the minister reminded citizens that drinking water issues can be reported through the toll-free helpline 1916 and directed officials to act immediately on any complaint. She said the same level of vigilance seen last summer must continue this year, with Bhagiratha mission engineers maintaining constant surveillance in the field. Special attention should be given to troubled villages, forest areas, tribal villages and tandas, she added.
Expressing satisfaction with the overall positive feedback from the sarpanches, Ms. Seethakka said the village-level inputs serve as a vital guide for the government.
“The feedback from the sarpanches forms a real blueprint for improving Mission Bhagiratha’s services. Our primary responsibility is to ensure uninterrupted supply of drinking water to every household,” she said.
The Office of the Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) recently completed an extensive outreach effort and collected feedback from 12,457 sarpanches of 12,728 gram panchayats over the phone. Their contributions covered 16 key aspects, including drinking water supply, water quality, chlorination and cleanliness of overhead tanks, pipe leaks, pump operation, domestic sewer connections and awareness of the 1916 Helpline.
Mission Bhagiratha teams have been asked to visit the villages, check the conditions first-hand and complete all remedial works between April 1 and 15, 2026, as part of the government’s 99-day initiative to advance public administration.
Published – 21 March 2026 20:10 IST
