NABARD To Provide Rs.1200 Cr To Odisha For Implementation of Mega Piped Water Project
07 May, Bhubaneswar
Odisha Government has planned to launch a mega water pipe scheme in Nuapada district, worst hit by flouride content to provide safe drinking water to the people.
A senior official said here today that NABARD has agreed to provide Rs 1200 crore for providing pipe water to the people in rural areas of the state out of which Rs 752 crore would be spent for Nuapada only.
He said the adjacent Golamunda block in Kalahandi district would also be covered under the district. Official sources said the fluoride content in the drinking water in Nuapada and in the Golamunda block of Kalahandi district is found to be more than 4 or 5 mg per litre against permissible 1MG.
Due to presence of high flouride content close to 30 people have died after suffering from kidney ailments and people suffer from various skin, teeth and low bone density problem. NABARD would provide the assistance from the RIDF in phases.
He said a sum of Rs 150 crore was allocated for the implementation of the scheme this year.The State Government, he said, had already floated tender under Engineering, Procurement and construction basis for the selection of parties for the implementation of the project.
Nuapada district has 905 total habitats out of which 380 habitats had already been covered under the Pipe Water scheme and the rest of the habitats would be covered under the scheme. The scheme, sources said, would take three to four more years to be completed.
The government has also planned to install 600 d-floridation machines in all the villages of the Nuapada district till pipe water was provided to them. As per the plan one d-floridation . machine would be installed in one village. So far 60 machines had already been installed. The water would be used for drinking and cooking purposes.
The government, has also targeted to provide pipe water to 60 villages/habitats at the rate of two villages in each of the 30 districts by 2019. The state government had already shortlisted the areas to be covered under the scheme.
In the first phase 30 villages at the rate of one village in each district would be covered under the scheme.The areas which have water sources but the people were facing problem in getting safe drinking water would receive priority, sources said