Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has planned 207 mega piped water supply projects worth Rs 35,920 crore. 16 projects out of those have been completed, while two are going through tendering process.
The 189 mega projects that remain are currently under several stages of execution throughout different districts of the State. An objective has been set to conclude 20 ongoing mega piped water supply projects by the end of March next year, an official informed.
The state has devised a comprehensive plan to provide functional household tap connections to a total of 47,274 villages. According to this plan, 31,854 villages (making up 65 percent) will receive mega piped water supply, while 15,420 villages (comprising 35 percent) will be equipped with small and solar solutions. In addition to these initiatives, 4,79,664 tubewells have been established in all the villages.
As of now, 9,671 villages have achieved 100 percent tap water supply coverage, and 66 percent of rural households now have access to tap water connections. The Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, responsible for rural water supply in Odisha, has undertaken 14,256 individual village projects with a combined value of Rs 18,000 crore, with the objective of providing functional household tap connections.
During a review of the progress of village coverage with functional household tap connections, Panchayati Raj Department Principal Secretary Sushil Kumar Lohani urged officials from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) divisions to accelerate the implementation in the field. A thorough discussion was held regarding the implementation aspects, and instructions were issued to swiftly address any issues and give the timely completion of these projects top priority.
The state currently has 77 water testing laboratories. These facilities analyse water samples from 2.28 lakh sources and delivery points across the state every year. Of these laboratories, 23 have received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), while three other labs have applied for certification, and an additional seven labs are in the process of seeking accreditation. Efforts are being made to obtain NABL accreditation for all district laboratories within the current financial year of 2023-24.
In the course of the meeting, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was issued regarding preparedness, mitigation, and maintenance of hand pump tube wells and rural piped water supply projects leading up to the summer of 2024. District officials were instructed to ensure the availability of drinking water in every habitation throughout the state without exception.
