He said the state government had increased the size of handpump bore from four to six inches to ensure more and regular supply.

Superintending engineer D G Chaudhary said as many as 611 villages from Surat district would be covered under 18 block water supply schemes at a cost of Rs 131.35 crore by the year 2000. Sanction for a scheme covering 28 villages in Mandvi, Mangrol and Kamrej talukas at an estimated cost of Rs 7.87 crore, and another scheme covering 25 villages in Nijhar and Uchhal talukas at an estimated cost of Rs 1.9 crore, was on the anvil, while Kareli group water supply scheme (Rs 5.30 crore) and Uchhal scheme (Rs 7.5 crore) were in the final stages.

The minister said his government had authorised superintending engineers to spend up to Rs 50 lakh for immediate solutions to water-related problems at the district level. He asked officers to contact him for immediate sanction for projects costing more than Rs 50 lakh.

He said the government had allotted an amount ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 to gram panchayats for maintenance of bores managed by them.