Bihar project promises drinking water at 50 paise per litre

An innovative cost-effective drinking water project in Bihar promises to lower the price of one-litre bottle to 50 paise. The project launched on Saturday in Darbhanga by Sulabh International will convert contaminated pond water into safe drinking water.

"Sulabh Jal will be made available through various stages of purification. It can offer safe drinking water from any water body such as a river or pond," said a statement from the social service organization.

Founder of Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the project at Haribol Pond on Darbhanga Nagar Nigam premises.

"The project work will start soon. By December it will be functional," Pathak said.

The new water purification process will cost around Rs 20 lakh and it has a capacity to produce 8,000 litres of potable water per day at a nominal cost.

"Local people and NGOs are going to maintain it. It is a self-sustainable project with active participation of the community. It will also generate employment," he said.

Groundwater in many districts of Bihar has been severely affected by arsenic and other chemical contamination.

--IANS

nks/prs/nir