Water projects to battle crisis

The Telegraph, 25th May, 2008

Good news for the rural and interior parts of Orissa, which are reeling under water scarcity.
The state government has decided to cover all the 5,000-odd gram panchayats across the state under drinking water supply projects within coming three years.
This was disclosed by the state rural development minister, Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, who reviewed the status of rural drinking water supply in Orissa.
As many as 1,37,159 rural habitations out of total 1,41,358 such habitations identified have been covered, claimed the minister.
The cost of drinking water supply projects is being shared equally by the Centre and the state government under the accelerated rural water supply programme.
The yardstick is to provide one tubewell or stand-post for a population of 250 in general habitation and a population of 150 in the tribal populated undivided Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi districts, he said.
Under the Centre-sponsored Swajaldhara programme, 1,475 drinking water supply projects had been sanctioned during 2002-06, out of which 1,163 projects have been completed. Now, this scheme has been amalgamated with accelerated rural water supply programme.
“Moreover, 45,188 rural schools have been provided with drinking water against a target of 45,927 schools,” said Harichandan.
Meanwhile, under the sub-mission scheme, 89,784 sources of water were tested out of which 28,016 were detected with multiple contamination. Of 2,399 projects sanctioned for alternative safe drinking water sources, 255 have been completed by end-March this year.
The minister said Rs 454.02 crore had been released under all state and central rural drinking water supply schemes during 2007-08, out of which Rs 450.23 crore had been spent. Similarly, out of Rs 492.58 crore sanctioned for the current fiscal, Rs 80 crore had been utilised so far, he said.