Punjab Achieves 100% Rural Piped Water Coverage: Minister

by The_unmuteenglish

Chandigarh, December 25: Punjab has made significant progress in providing clean water and improved sanitation to its rural population, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian announced.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state achieved 100% piped water supply to rural households, making it the fifth in India to do so under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ initiative, he said.

To address water quality and scarcity, the state is implementing 15 canal water projects across 1,706 villages at a cost of ₹2,174 crore. These projects are set to benefit approximately 25 lakh individuals and 4 lakh families, he said further.

In sanitation, Punjab has achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status for all its villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin). This includes the construction of 5.64 lakh individual and 1,340 community toilets.

Furthermore, 10,435 villages have reached ODF Plus (desirable) status, while 1,289 have achieved ODF Plus (model) status. Waste management facilities for solid and grey water have been established in 3,366 and 9,909 villages, respectively, he added.

The state also operates 31 NABL-accredited water testing laboratories, along with two mobile labs for quality monitoring in villages.

Additionally, biogas plants for cow dung management and plastic waste management units have been set up with PEDA’s support, ensuring sustainable rural development.

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