Punjab launches project on drinking water

Punjab government has launched a project to reorganise rural water supply and sanitation schemes for covering entire rural population of 166 million people under drinking water and sanitation programmes.
A provision has been made in the project to initiate works on pilot basis in about 100 villages for providing modern underground waste water collection and disposal systems, an official spokesman said here today.
Besides, 1,811 Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants have already been installed for the rural habitats of Punjab at a cost of Rs 230 crore.
As many as 1,166 more villages would be provided with RO plants with the financial assistance of NABARD and Central Government, he said.

He also said 16,032 schools in Punjab have been covered under rural water supply programmes initiated for the rural schools in the state.
The government would also set up a Drinking Water Quality Testing Regulatory Authority in the state, the spokesman said.
For the rural habitats, an Advance Water Testing Lab costing Rs 4.31 crore for the northern states was also being set up, he added.