Soon, bottled water for every AP household

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is promising the people of his state freedom from water-borne diseases, and from long walks to fetch drinking water; he wants to provide 'safe bottled water' to every habitat from August 15.

"We in Andhra Pradesh are very keen to supply bottled drinking water to all habitations -- urban and rural. We have a very good network of women's groups and we want to involve them to run this," he said.

But the freedom will come at a price -- Rs 2 for 20 litres. The bottling plant is to be set up with an initial investment of Rs 2 lakh to ensure five litres of safe drinking water for each person in a habitat with 1,000 families. And 50 to 60 per cent of the villages in the state are expected to be covered within a year.

"Fluorosis, salination and industrial pollution -- in all these three cases, it is a good idea. Out of 55,000 habitations in Andhra Pradesh, some 7,000 may have these problems," said Opposition leader J P Narayan said.

The government wants women self help groups to run the bottling plants and priority would be given to tribal hamlets.

Bottled water everyday, keeps diseases away -- that's the health mantra of AP's doctor CM to fight water-borne diseases like fluorosis and gastroenteritis. But the irony is that ultimately, even safe drinking water has to bought by the poorest people in the country.