Andhra Pradesh Reaffirms Commitment to Scale Safe Drinking Water Through In-Line Chlorination at State Conclave in Vijayawada

Vijayawada, June 2026: The Rural Water Supply & Sanitation (RWS&S) Department, Andhra Pradesh and Evidence Action (known through its technical partner, EAII Advisors, in India) convened the ‘State Conclave on Safe Water Through In-Line Chlorination’ at the Andhra Pradesh State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (APSIRD&PR), Vijayawada, bringing together senior officials, engineers, development partners, researchers and community representatives to accelerate the scale-up of In-Line Chlorination (ILC) across the state for safe water.

Held on World Environment Day, the conclave marked a significant milestone in Andhra Pradesh's commitment to water quality under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister. The state articulated a clear ambition to scale In-Line Chlorination across all feasible Single Village Schemes (SVS).

State Leadership Outlines Vision for Water Quality and Sustainability

Shri K. Venkata Krishna, Officer on Special Duty to the Deputy Chief Minister and Additional Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, delivered the keynote address outlining the state’s vision and comprehensive strategy for scaling up safe and sustainable water supply systems under JJM 2.0.

“Every habitation needs a clear roadmap for safe drinking water. The RWS&S and PR&RD Department have committed to mobilizing local, mandal, and state-level systems to translate these plans into action and accelerate access to safe and sustainable drinking water for all.”

During the event, dignitaries released a compendium of community voices titled “Safe Water that Transforms Lives”, documenting experiences and impact stories from community members and stakeholders associated with the safe water initiative.

The conclave also witnessed the inauguration of the LIVE ILC Dashboard, a real-time monitoring platform aimed at strengthening oversight and tracking of In-Line Chlorination systems across implementation areas.

Safe Drinking Water Recognized as a Public Health Priority

Shri B. Hare Ram Naik, Chief Engineer and Project Director, RWS&S Department, Andhra Pradesh, delivered the opening remarks and highlighted safe drinking water as a critical public health priority. He emphasized the role of chlorination in ensuring water safety at the household level.

“Through In-Line Chlorination, Andhra Pradesh is strengthening its commitment to ensuring safe and chlorinated drinking water for every household under JJM 2.0.”

Shri Anurag Taneja, Associate Director, India Safe Water Program, EAII Advisors, highlighted the importance of evidence-based solutions and government-led implementation.

“The evidence is clear, and the technology is ready. What today's conclave has demonstrated is that under the government's leadership and community’s ownership, the State is well-positioned to take safe water to scale through In-Line Chlorination.”

Technical Training Conducted for Engineers Across the State

A dedicated technical training session on In-Line Chlorination installation protocols, operation, maintenance and dashboard usage was conducted to strengthen implementation readiness at the field level.

The training session was attended by more than 80 Assistant Engineers, Superintending Engineers (SEs), and District Superintending Engineers from across Andhra Pradesh.

Experts Discuss Roadmap for Statewide Expansion

Senior officials and sector experts participated in a panel discussion focused on policy, financing and implementation pathways for scaling In-Line Chlorination across Andhra Pradesh.

• Shri Satyanarayana, Managing Director, Jal Jeevan Mission Corporation and former Chief Engineer, RWS&S Department
• Shri R. Suresh, Chief Engineer
• Shri Ram Mohan, former Engineer-in-Chief
• Shri N. Venkateswarlu, Executive Engineer, RWS&S Department
• Shri Ramnath Reddy, Joint Director, Panchayati Raj
• Shri Srinivas Chary, Advisor, Evidence Action and former Director, UGID, ASCI

The discussion emphasized the need for institutional leadership, technical capacity building, real-time monitoring systems and active community participation to strengthen water quality systems across rural areas.

Roadmap for Scaling In-Line Chlorination Across Andhra Pradesh

The conclave concluded with a renewed commitment to expanding safe water access through sustainable water quality interventions. Evidence Action, in partnership with the RWS&S Department, Andhra Pradesh, will install around 400 In-Line Chlorination devices across the state.

Simultaneously, the state will develop a roadmap for scaling In-Line Chlorination across all feasible Single Village Schemes at the earliest. Andhra Pradesh continues to position itself at the forefront of advancing sustainable and safe rural water supply systems at scale.

About Evidence Action

Evidence Action is a global nonprofit organization that scales evidence-based programs to improve the lives of millions of people. Through its technical partner EAII Advisors in India, the organization works with governments and communities to implement large-scale public health and development interventions.