Punjab CM asks officials to expedite solar-run water supply plans

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 24

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has asked the Water Supply and Sanitation Department to expedite the process for setting up solar-powered water supply schemes in the state.

Chairing a meeting here to review the functioning of the department, the CM said tapping of solar energy for water supply schemes would be very beneficial for the state.

He said the initiative would go a long way in saving power on one hand and ensuring regular water supply in the villages on the other. The CM was informed that the department was mulling to install solar-powered schemes in 1,508 villages to achieve sustainability and self-sufficiency by generating 8,708 kW capacity at a cost of Rs 60.50 crore.

Dwelling on another agenda, Mann also gave a nod for digital adaptation in 1,731 villages where remote monitoring and operation of water supply would be done. He approved launching of this pilot project worth Rs 106 crore in 93 villages and 100 per cent coverage in 23 blocks. Mann also asked the department to roll out the digital initiative, mGram Seva, an app that

was launched as a pilot project in 100 villages to ensure transparency and accountability

in revenue collection and financial management.

The CM was informed that 99.63 per cent of rural households have tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission and 20 of the 23 districts had achieved 100 per cent coverage while on the sanitation side too, the state was open-defecation free.

He said the state was facing water quality issues due to the presence of heavy metals, arsenic, fluoride, iron and uranium in the supply. To tackle it, large surface water projects are coming up in Patiala, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur and Anandpur Sahib at cost of Rs 2,081 crore. These projects would cover over 1,800 villages, he said.

Players felicitated

CM Bhagwant Mann on Sunday felicitated state players, who recently brought laurels to the country. At a function at his house, the CM honoured World Shooting Championship medallists Arjun Babuta, Anjum Moudgil, Sifat Kaur Samra and Thomas Cup winner Dhruv Kapila.

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