Jaipur, March 21 -- With a harsh summer looming, the Rajasthan government has rolled out a contingency plan to avert any drinking water crisis, pumping in over Rs.200 crore and ramping up on-ground deployment of manpower and resources. Acting on directions from chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the state has prioritised uninterrupted water supply across all 41 districts, backed by emergency funds, water transport arrangements and a sharp scale-up in field operations. The state has approved significant financial allocations to secure water supply. For summer 2026, Rs.55.88 crore has been sanctioned for urban areas and Rs.154.83 crore for rural regions across all 41 districts. In addition, funds have been earmarked for water transportation from April 1 to July 31, 2026, with Rs.23 crore allocated for urban areas and Rs.82.37 crore for rural areas to meet emergency requirements. To enhance monitoring and field operations, the government has approved hiring of additional manpower and vehicles. This includes 500 workers and 100 hired vehicles in March, 2,000 workers and 400 vehicles in April, and 2,500 workers along with 450 vehicles per month from May to July. District collectors have also been empowered with contingency funds of Rs.1 crore each to undertake urgent works related to drinking water supply. These funds can be utilised on priority projects based on local requirements. Further, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs.25 lakh per district has been approved to ensure smooth operation of completed rural water supply schemes during the summer. Officials said the measures are aimed at ensuring adequate and equitable water supply, particularly in vulnerable and remote areas, while strengthening on-ground response to any disruption during the peak summer season. Besides, all leaves of field officers and staff of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) have been cancelled with immediate effect to ensure round-the-clock monitoring and quick response to water-related issues. Officials said only emergency leave will be granted with approval from senior authorities. To strengthen response mechanisms, the Rajasthan government has also set up control rooms at both the state and district levels to address drinking water complaints and ensure swift resolution during the peak summer months this year....