Govt initiates plan to secure rural drinking water supply

Bhubaneswar: With summer months approaching, the govt on Monday announced measures to secure drinking water supply in rural areas.
Addressing a press conference, rural development and panchayati raj & drinking water minister Rabi Narayan Naik outlined some of the initiatives, including the completion of pending projects.
He said that addressing past challenges, where unpaid electricity bills led to power disruptions in rural water projects, the govt would be using Basudha scheme grants to clear the dues.
"We are implementing a multi-faceted approach to ensure uninterrupted water supply to our rural communities," Naik said.
The minister said the department has approved re-drilling of tubewells and the installation of new ones in areas where existing facilities are non-functional.
"Priority will be given to areas without tubewells, regions lacking piped water supply, and areas where the ratio exceeds 70 people per tubewell," Naik said.
The govt has set various timelines for completing 207 large water projects. While it plans to complete 72 projects by Mar, 54 drinking water supply projects by Dec, and another 81 by June next year.
To address immediate concerns in remote and inaccessible areas, district administrations have been instructed to arrange water supply through water tankers. Naik emphasised that public complaints and suggestions should be actively monitored and addressed.
"Our primary goal is to ensure every rural household has access to clean drinking water. We are committed to completing these projects on schedule and maintaining existing infrastructure to prevent any water scarcity issues," he said.