District Collector Sumit Kumar on Wednesday urged officials to complete all Jaladhara water conservation works across Chittoor district, aimed at strengthening water security and groundwater recharge, by June 25.Addressing a review meeting with officials from the Irrigation, Rural Development, and NREGA departments here, the Collector stressed the importance of speedy execution of feeder channel restoration works linked to minor irrigation tanks. Instructing the officials to physically verify every completed work and submit certificates confirming the quality and completion status, Mr. Sumit Kumar said that discrepancies found in the certification process would invite strict action.Expressing serious concern over the decline in groundwater levels by nearly six metres in several parts of Chittoor, the Collector said Jaladhara works should be treated as a priority initiative. “Desilting of tanks and restoration of feeder channels should be undertaken through the MGNREGA workforce, while machinery available under special funding provisions should be deployed in difficult terrain,” he said.The Collector further reviewed the progress of works in Pedda Panjani, Palamaner, V. Kota, Baireddipalle, and Gangavaram mandals. He instructed officials to upload details of every completed tank-related work on a dedicated monitoring application to ensure transparency and accountability.The officials informed the Collector that as many as 1,482 Jaladhara-related works have been identified across the district, of which 1,355 have received administrative approval. As many as 546 tank restoration works have already been completed, while the remaining projects are at various stages of execution. Published - June 17, 2026 07:48 pm IST