CUTTACK: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday dedicated the ‘Sujal-Drink From Tap Mission’ to residents of Cuttack city. The 24×7 drinking water supply project worth Rs 790 crore will benefit around seven lakh residents of 1.4 lakh families across 59 wards of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).
It includes infrastructure worth Rs 430 crore for pipeline connection to 100 per cent households, three state-of-the art water treatment plants at CDA-Sector-12, Jagatpur and Pratap Nagari with a total capacity of 14.3 crore litre per day, laying of 550 km long new pipelines and construction of 28 elevated surface reservoirs and 13 underground reservoirs.
Inaugurating two pilot zones under the project at Jagatpur in ward no 48 and Judges Colony in ward no 15, which will benefit 24,000 people from 3,400 households, the Chief Minister said safe drinking water is vital for all and the State government is committed to extend it to all residents for their well-being.
“All families in 60 cities of the State including Cuttack have been provided with 24-hour piped water. Soon, all households in 114 cities in the State will benefit from the initiative,” he said.
Laying the foundation for Rs 360 crore infrastructure for 24×7 safe and IS:10500 quality drinking water supply for Cuttack, the Chief Minister said the entire city will be provided safe drinking water under the ‘Drink From Tap’ programme by December 2023.
The flagship programme initiated under 5T framework of the State government has emerged as a role model not only for the country but also for developing nations across the world, he said.
With the completion of the project, there would be less risk of water contamination in the piped network and will address the issue of waterborne diseases. Hundred per cent metering of household water supply will also minimize non-revenue water (NRW) supply.
Residents of pilot zones would be able to directly consume water from their taps without boiling or further filtering.
The project would also help do away with underground sumps, use of overhead tanks, motor pumps and water filters at households thereby reducing expenditure incurred on availing drinking water, said officials of WATCO, the nodal agency for implementing the initiative.
As many as 59 Mission Shakti SHGs have been appointed as ‘Jal Sathis’ to provide doorstep service to the residents relating to water supply like new connection, meter reading, user fee collection and consumer grievance redressal facilitation.