PURI: Naveen Patnik, Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha, inaugurated the ‘Sujal’, or drinking-from-tap mission, on Monday, July 26. He informed that Odisha’s Puri has joined the league of big cities, including London, New York, and Singapore, to provide safe drinking water from the tap for 24 hours, seven days a week.
“Puri is the first city in the country to achieve 24X7 clean water directly from tap for drinking, cooking, and other household purposes. The water can be used directly as there is no need to filter it,” said Patnik. The initiative has been made while adhering to ‘Quality Standards of IS 10500’, which will benefit city people and tourists who visit Puri annually. Moreover, it will help prevent the use of plastic bottles and reduce the state’s carbon footprint, an official release stated.
Besides Puri, this mission is yet to be implemented in 16 other cities with a population of approximately 40 lakh, the same release said. A quick response team and mobile apps will be set up to monitor the leakages, quality of water, supply, and other issues that may arise.