‘Drink from Tap’ mission to cover 21 more cities in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: The state government has set a target to cover 40 lakh more households in 21 cities and towns under its ‘Drink from Tap’ mission by March 2024.In her post-budget briefing Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) minister Usha Devi said the state government has set aside Rs 2,400 crore in its budget for implementation of the mission, a 5T initiative, aimed at bringing the water supply service standards on par with international cities in urban areas of Odisha.
Puri and Gopalpur have become India’s first two cities to achieve this distinction under the mission.
“Execution of ‘drink from tap’ mission will be completed in Berhampur by June 2023 and in cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela by December 2023,” she said. The minister said all five corporations - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela - have already achieved tap connection to 100 per cent households, while another 30 cities will achieve it by December 2023.
Other key thrust areas of the budget in the Housing and Urban sector are inclusive urban infrastructure with an outlay of Rs 2,345 crore, decentralised sanitation and drainage management with a budget of Rs 1,307 crore and urban housing with a provision of Rs 609 crore, she said.H&UD secretary G Mathivathanan said around 400 Kalyan Mandaps will be constructed in urban areas in the new fiscal.