Sukhu's Splash: Himachal CM's ₹80 Cr Boost for Clean Water

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to providing safe drinking water and sanitation to every household, supporting the vision of a ‘Clean and Green Himachal’.

To enhance water quality, the state has launched the ‘Mukhya Mantri Swachh Jal Shodhan Yojana’ with an initial outlay of ₹80 crore. This initiative integrates advanced purification technologies such as ozonation, UV filtration, reverse osmosis (RO), and nano-filtration, aiming to curb waterborne diseases and improve public health. Additionally, new water treatment plants will be established in Jawalamukhi, Jaswan, Pragpur, and Dehra (Kangra district) at a cost of ₹43 crore.

Real-time water quality monitoring is being implemented through sensor-based systems across 291 schemes in 10 districts. Over the last two and a half years, significant progress has been made in expanding sewerage and sanitation infrastructure across the state.

To further support water quality efforts, the government will set up one state-level and 14 district-level NABL-accredited laboratories, adding to the existing network of 71 labs.

Under the Rural Drinking Water Upgrade Project, backed by the New Development Bank, ₹745 crore will be invested to provide clean water access to 20,663 households. An additional ₹1,062 crore will fund 79,282 tap connections in 2,471 settlements, with 43% of the work already completed.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.