BHUBANESWAR: As 845 of 6234 gram panchayats (GPs) of the State are still out of reach of pipe water supply, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi on Thursday directed the Rural Development Department to ensure that these GPs are provided safe drinking water by the end of this fiscal.
The Chief Secretary, who reviewed the progress of different projects during a visit to the department, advised the engineers of the Department to adopt new technology for pipe water supply that will be cost effective and sustainable.
Outlining the Department’s plan and programmes, Principal Secretary Pradipta Mohapatra informed the Chief Secretary that 10,137 pipe water projects have been operationalised and about 4000 of these projects have been handed over to panchayats for operation and maintenance.
Under mega pipe water supply scheme, survey has been completed in 501 locations and steps have been taken for construction of projects at 64 locations in the first phase.
As pipe water supply to 285 GP headquarters is not feasible, the Department has taken steps to provide safe drinking water under the solar energy-based dual pump scheme.
As many as 68 GP headquarters of Kalahandi district, 26 GPs in Kendrapara, 25 in Angul, 19 in Nuapada, 17 each in Jajpur and Keonjhar and 15 GPs in Sundargarh districts are still not covered under the pipe water supply scheme.
Supply of water through solar photovoltaic (PV) pump sets is the only solution in remote habitations where sinking of bore well or tube well is not feasible. The Centre, which has been providing financial assistance to the State under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for installation of such pump sets, has now stopped funding.
While in the first phase, 1,762 villages were covered under the programme in 18 IAP districts, 1,934 habitations were provided safe drinking water through solar PV system in the second phase, Mohapatra told the Chief Secretary.
It has been targeted to cover 2,000 habitations facing drinking water scarcity under solar PV system in 2015-16 and work on 500 locations has been completed, he said. Of 6,234 GPs, 845 are having no natural source of water.
Meanwhile, the Department has provided pipe water to 560 habitations by sinking deep bore wells.
Govt Move
10,137pipe water projects have been operationalised 68GPs in Kalahandi, 26 GPs in Kendrapara, 25 in Angul, 19 in Nuapada, 17 each in Jajpur and Keonjhar and 15 GPs in Sundargarh still not covered under pipe water supply schemeTarget to cover 2,000 habitations facing drinking water scarcity under solar PV system in 2015-16