Foundation for 3 water supply projects, domestic STP worth Rs 197 cr in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday laid the foundation stones for three surface water supply projects and a domestic sewage treatment plant, having a combined worth of Rs 197.69 crore, for the rural areas of Amritsar district. Terming Punjab's water situation as precarious, Singh underlined the responsibility of the state to save water for the future generations.

Punjab had 17 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water, which has depleted to 13 MAF in 30 years, the chief minister said. Earlier, launching a canal-based Surface Water Supply Project worth Rs 154.15 crore, the CM said the schemes would help mitigate the problem of groundwater for 1.5 lakh people spread across 112 villages in four blocks of the region.

On the occasion, the CM also laid the foundation stone of an arsenic removal project for 102 villages in Amritsar. Further, with an aim to counter the high prevalence of contaminants like iron and other heavy metals in groundwater, Amarinder also launched an ultra-modern water testing laboratory in Amritsar at a cost of Rs six crore.

This high-tech laboratory, being set up with technical assistance from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, would cater to the districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot. Speaking on the occasion, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Razia Sultana said drinking water would be supplied to the people at a nominal charge of Rs 140 per month.

(With inputs from agencies.)