Nellore: Chairman of the state’s 20-Point Programme Lanka Dinakar said only new infrastructure can end the fluoride contamination crisis in Prakasam. Out of 1,769 villages across 729 panchayats that are affected, safe drinking water facilities have been arranged in 27 villages. More than 1,000 villages remain affected.Addressing a press conference at the Ongole collectorate, Dinakar emphasised the drinking and irrigation water challenges in western Prakasam. Dinakar highlighted alarming fluoride levels as high as 8–9 ppm (parts per million) in some villages, compared to the safe limit of 1.5 ppm, particularly in Kandukur, Kanigiri, and Marripudi mandals. He stressed on the urgent need to leverage CSR funds to establish more dialysis centres and water treatment plants. Plans are underway to address drinking water shortages in Ongole (4 million liters per day), Markapur (3.43 MLD), and Chimakurthy (0.34 MLD) with Rs 13.92 crore already sanctioned for urgent needs. Dinakar underscored that completing the Veligonda Project is critical for long-term water security in the region. On the development front, Yerragondapalem was recognised as an ‘aspiration block’ under central government initiatives, achieving notable progress in key health and social indicators. Regarding drought, 11 mandals in Prakasam have been declared severely drought-affected with groundwater levels critically low across 93 villages. Dinakar called upon the people to participate in the grand public gathering on Friday (May 2) when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are expected to launch Rs 1 lakh crore worth of capital development projects in Amaravati.
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