North News
Chandigarh, October 19
Punjab’s government is committed to providing clean drinking water and improving sanitation services, especially in rural areas, Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said. The Minister emphasised the need for toilets in all Revenue Offices (Patwarkhanas) for female staff and visitors.
Mundian underscored the importance of water conservation, calling for fines under the Water Act for those wasting the resource. He also directed that 12 lakh households with private water sources be connected to the government water supply network. Highlighting the timely completion of 15 major canal water projects, valued at Rs. 2,174 crore, Mundian stressed transparency in all operations. He also promoted the use of technology, including the ‘m-Gram Seva App,’ for better implementation of Gram Panchayat water schemes.
Mundian called for a campaign to raise awareness about water management and conservation in villages. He noted that 9,492 water schemes are currently active across 11,467 Gram Panchayats, with 469 schemes implemented in 700 villages through NABARD funding. Additionally, Rs. 160 crore in new projects have been submitted for approval, while 963 villages have achieved ODF Plus status under Swachh Bharat Mission.
The Minister also called for expanding the laboratory network and ensuring all 31 labs for water testing are NABL accredited, including one state lab, six regional labs, 17 district labs, and seven block-level labs.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary of Water Supply & Sanitation Nilkanth S. Avhad and Special Secretary Amit Talwar.
