Puri becomes first Indian city to have 'drink-from-tap' facility

Ground Report | New Delhi: Puri becomes first Indian city; In a quest for clean drinking water, the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government has declared Puri as the first city in the country to have safe drinking water available throughout the city.

The state government is also working on introducing safe drinking water supply in 16 more cities including Cuttack, Rourkela and Berhampur, benefitting about 40 lakh urban population. Inaugurating the mission through video conference, Chief Minister Patnaik said that providing quality drinking water from tap to every household is a transformative project and an important step towards making Puri a world-class heritage city, according to an official release.

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He said that now the residents of Puri, tourists, and pilgrims have access to clean drinking water across the city. It has been my dream to provide tap water to every household in Odisha and it is now turning into reality. The provision of safe drinking water will help in curbing the use of 30 million plastic bottles, eliminate 400 metric tonnes of plastic waste and reduce the state's carbon footprint, an official release said.

The initiative is set to provide drinking water to every household in Odisha in all 114 urban local bodies, which includes all slum households, the release said.

Puri becomes first Indian city

Puri has become the first city in India to have implemented state-of-the-art technology, which allows people to drink water 24 hours a day, directly from the tap, the statement said. Apart from Puri, the mission is also on its way to success in 16 other cities with a population of 40 lakhs. This mission includes a 24/7 helpline center with IVRS for grievance redressal, the inauguration of a mobile water testing lab, and a quick response team for the speedy resolution of water supply-related complaints. 

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The state government has set a target to connect all urban areas of Odisha with the mission of providing clean drinking water through a tap by March 2022, making Odisha the first state in India to do so. On the lines of developed countries like America, England, Japan, Singapore, every household will be supplied with quality potable water from the tap.

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