Centre to examine if Mission Bhagiratha can be replicated to provide drinking water across India: Shekhawat

The Central government will examine the possibility of replicating the Mission Bhagiratha scheme for providing safe drinking water to every household across the country, said Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat here on Monday.

Shekhawat, who called on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao along with Union Secretary, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer at Pragathi Bhavan, inquired about the works taken up under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme.

"Providing safe drinking water to the people is the minimum responsibility of the government. The state government should study the improvised sewerage treatment plant system, which helps to make the use of treated water for domestic and agricultural purposes," he said.

"Such a method is globally tested and appreciated. This treated water can also be used for village sanitation," said Shekhawat, adding that the participation of states concerned will make the drinking water programme implementation much easier.

Briefing about the Mission Bhagiratha scheme, Chief Minister Rao said: "For 24,000 habitations in Telangana, we have decided to provide safe drinking water through Mission Bhagiratha scheme. There used to be severe drinking water scarcity at several places in the State."

"Hence, we have taken up the scheme to purify water from Godavari and Krishna rivers and supply pure drinking water on a daily basis to the people. The Scheme is almost complete. A permanent solution to the drinking water problems has been found," added Rao.

The Chief Minister further said that the Mission Bhagiratha scheme brought a substantial and qualitative change in the lifestyle of rural women of Telangana. "It is an end-to-end solution. The process of drawing water from a source to the endpoint is unique," he said.

"We have kept in mind the rise in population in the coming 30 years and the demands that may crop up then. Hence, we have designed the project keeping in view the demands that may come up for the next 30 years," said Rao.

"The Central government aims to provide safe drinking water to people all over the country. Telangana government has already done this. Hence, the Centre should extend financial help to the Mission Bhagiratha scheme," Chief Minister Rao told Shekhawat, as per an official statement.