1000 villages in Punjab to be connected with 10 hours water supply every year: Tript Bajwa

1000 villages in Punjab to be connected with 10 hours water supply every year: Tript Bajwa

Canal water supply scheme project to be implemented in villages of Moga, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib Districts

New Water testing lab to be set up Amitrsar, labs at Patiala & SAS Nagar to be upgraded at a cost of Rs 8.58 cr.

All districts of the state to be ODF this year

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Chandigarh, January 09:
The Punjab government would start supplying 10 hours drinking water supply to 1000 new villages every year and so far 1852 villages are being provided 10 hours water supply. The Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation and Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa gave this information while disclosing about the new projects & initiatives of the Water Supply and Sanitation department during a press conference organised here today by the department.
Mr. Bajwa said that 24 hours water supply was being provided to 107 villages and 24 hours water supply would be started in 50 more villages this year in the state. He said that with the cost of 2200 crore, hundred percent villages would be provided best water supply and sanitation facilities by 2021.
Sharing important information on this occasion Mr. Bajwa said that new government projects are being started for the supply of canal water in the villages where the ground water is contaminated. He said that 85 water quality affected villages of District Moga shall be provided safe drinking water by tapping surface water from the adjoining Bathinda Branch by August 2019 at the cost of 176.12 crores. The 43% work of this project has been completed.
He further said that 93 villages falling in the District Fatehgarh Sahib impacted by Fluoride will be provided with the surface water supply scheme at an estimated cost of Rs. 90 Cr. and 204 villages in Patiala district, where quality of water is impacted by Fluoride shall also be provided surface water supply at an estimated cost of Rs. 240 crores. Work of these two projects would be taken up in 2018 to be completed in next two years to ensure supply of good quality of water under World Bank and National Rural Drinking Water Supply Program.
He also informed that in 45 villages of Nupur Bedi area of ​​Ropar district, where the ground water is contaminated, the project to supply canal water in these villages would be completed this year.
Mr. Bajwa also disclosed that steps are being taken to fill the vacant posts for providing better services to the people. He said that in the last six months, 23 new SDO’s have been recruited and now process is going on to recruit 200 JEs in the next three months.

Sharing the information about another initiative by the Water Supply Department, Mr. Bajwa said that the facility to pay water bills online has been implemented in the Mohali district and in next phase this facility would be implemented in the corporation cities.
He further said that the Department for checking the water samples, the Water Supply Department would set up a world class testing laboratory at Amitrsar and the labs of Patiala and SAS Nagar would be upgraded at a cost of 8.58 crore.
Mr. Bajwa said that 157 new RO plants would be installed at the cost of Rs. 23.15 crore in the state. Apart from this, giving information about the current situation of the ongoing RO Plant, he said that 2305 R.O Plants were set up in the state, out of which 2184 are in working condition and 121 which are not functioning due to any reason, 54 ROs of Mansa district would be functional by March 31 and estimate for repair of 25 R.Os of the districts of Muktsar has been passed and the remaining 42 R.O plants would also be operational by June this year.
The minister disclosing about the Swachh Punjab campaign in Punjab, said that all the villages of Punjab ODF this year. He said that so far, 13 districts, 86 blocks and 10238 villages have been declared ODF.
Among others Mr. Jaspreet Talwar, Secretary, Mr. Ashwani Kumar Director, Mrs. Meenakshi Sharma Director Water Supply, Mr. Mohammad Ishfaq Director Sanitation, Mr. SK Jain Chief Engineer, Mr. Gurpreet Singh Chief Engineer and Chief Engineer Mr. Avtar Singh were also present on the occasion.