Cuttack, May 13 - Orissa High Court today issued fresh directions to the state government to drill adequate number of tube wells on a “war footing” and ensure supply of pure drinking water to anganwadi centres (AWCs) which do not have the facility.

The court ignored the state government’s plea seeking time till December 31 to provide drinking water facility to all the 8050 AWCs and directed for submission of a status report when the matter is taken up on June 30.

The court is monitoring provision of drinking water facilities at Anganwadi Centres in the state while adjudicating a PIL on implementation of special nutrition and mid-day meal programmes.

The division bench of chief justice V. Gopal Gowda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra directed the rural development department principal secretary and child welfare department commissioner-cum-secretary to coordinate drilling of the tube wells on daily basis and monitor progress of the work by directing collectors to submit weekly reports.

On May 4, the high court had expressed serious concern after finding that its order had not been complied and borewells had been drilled in only 233 of the 8050 AWCs, which did not have drinking water facility within 250 metres. The high court had then given the government “one more opportunity, as a last chance, is given to file an affidavit by May 10 to comply with the direction issued on March 8 issued by the court”.

Rural development department, principal secretary, Surendra Nath Tripathy in an affidavit filed on Tuesday claimed that the chief engineer, rural water supply, had prepared a detailed action plan to provide drinking water facilities to all the AWCs by the December end and work had already been taken up.