BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday, October 1, 2021, announced that the State government has targeted to provide tap water connection to all houses in the cities by December 2022. Speaking at the launch of AMRUT 2.0 and Swachha Bharat Mission 2.0 by the Centre, the Chief Minister said Odisha has implemented the Centre’s AMRUT Mission introduced in 2015 and there has been substantial improvement in urban water supply and septage management across nine major towns of Odisha.
Stating that water supply and septage projects with an investment of about Rs 1,600 crore have been implemented by the government, he said Odisha has been securing the first position in the country consecutively for the last three years in urban reform measures under AMRUT. “I am glad to share that so far, 27 cities out of 114 have achieved 100 per cent household connections including Bhubaneswar which has become the first and only million plus city to achieve this status,” he added.
The Chief Minister said Odisha has started its ‘Drink from Tap’ mission under the 5T initiative. Puri city has become the first in the country to achieve this unique distinction of joining the league of international cities like London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo, he said, adding this will reduce 400 tonnes of plastic waste annually in the pilgrim city. This transformative initiative is being expanded to 17 more cities including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela, he added.
On fecal sludge management, the Chief Minister said nine cities were supported under AMRUT Mission including Puri where a co-treatment facility converging sewage and septage treatment process has been set up. Odisha will partner with the Centre in successful implementation of these flagship missions and work towards improving the livability standards for urban population, he added.