Chandigarh- Punjab Water Provide and Sanitation Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian knowledgeable that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Authorities has channelled funding of over Rs.2,900 crore in the direction of strengthening water provide and sanitation infrastructure throughout Punjab. He stated this sustained monetary push has accelerated completion of main tasks, expanded know-how adoption and bolstered water high quality and sanitation techniques, with the direct consequence of enhancing each day lives in rural and semi-urban areas. He stated that with 100% protection, over 34 lakh households are at present receiving protected and potable consuming water within the state. The Minister knowledgeable that for FY 2025-26, the annual implementation plan of Rs.2,190.80 crore, in rural sanitation sector, has been accredited for rural growth within the state.
The Cupboard Minister stated that Punjab has already achieved the goal of offering Useful Family Faucet Connections to each family in rural areas, rising because the fifth state within the nation to realize this milestone. He stated that centered consideration was given to water quality-affected areas by way of 15 main floor water provide tasks protecting 1,706 villages. Of those, 4 tasks have already been commissioned, whereas 11 are nearing completion. These tasks will collectively profit practically 25 lakh rural households by making certain reliable floor water provide, he added.
Through the present monetary 12 months, the Water Provide and Sanitation Minister stated, 205 rural water provide schemes have been accomplished at a value of Rs.278.37 crore, benefiting round 2.33 lakh rural residents by enhancing entry, stress and reliability of consuming water provide. He stated {that a} challenge involving 144 water provide schemes protecting 176 villages has been accredited at a value of Rs.160 crore and is scheduled for completion by 2026-27. The challenge will profit about 3.04 lakh rural residents. As well as, a proposal for up-gradation of 98 schemes protecting 127 villages in 19 districts, with an estimated price of Rs.105 crore, is below approval.
The Cupboard Minister stated that the inspiration stone for up-gradation of water provide and sewerage works within the historic metropolis of Sri Muktsar Sahib has been laid by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann not too long ago with an funding of Rs.140 crore, additional strengthening coordinated infrastructure planning throughout city and rural areas.He knowledgeable that technology-led governance remained a key focus space throughout the 12 months. An IoT-based automation and monitoring system has been carried out in 346 water provide schemes protecting 897 villages. These schemes are linked to an internet and cell app-based dashboard that tracks operational parameters in actual time, enabling sooner response and improved service supply.
Apart from this, the Cupboard Minister stated, a powerful institutional framework for water high quality monitoring has been put in place by way of a three-tier community of laboratories comprising one state-level, seven regional-level, 17 district-level and 7 block-level laboratories. All laboratories are NABL accredited for chemical testing, whereas seven laboratories are additionally geared up for bacteriological evaluation.The division is strengthening bacteriological services at these laboratories and establishing related sections in 17 district-level laboratories at a value of about Rs.11.42 crore, with completion focused by FY 2025-26. Infrastructure growth and tools set up have already been accomplished in seven laboratories, he added.
Mundian stated that centered mitigation measures have been undertaken in villages affected by heavy metals in groundwater. Reverse Osmosis (RO) crops have been put in in 10 villages affected by sulphate, nitrate and selenium at a value of Rs.54.33 lakh. Neighborhood Water Purification Vegetation in 23 uranium-affected villages, costing Rs.5.91 crore, are below execution and are anticipated to be accomplished by February 2026.
He stated that administrative approval has been granted for Arsenic-cum-Iron Removing Vegetation in 32 arsenic-affected villages at a value of Rs.9.77 crore, with the tender course of underway. Neighborhood Water Purification Vegetation have additionally been put in in 4 fluoride-affected villages at a value of Rs.38.69 lakh, whereas related works in two arsenic-affected villages costing Rs.18.60 lakh are scheduled for completion by December 2025. A Uranium Removing Plant has been put in at village Ranbirpura in Patiala district below CSR help.
The Water Provide and Sanitation Minister stated that within the rural sanitation sector, 1598 group sanitary complexes have been constructed throughout the state and work on 580 further complexes is ongoing. Through the present monetary 12 months, 6606 households have been supplied with bogs, whereas building of 12,967 family bogs is in progress.
Twenty biogas crops have been established at district-level gaushalas, with three extra deliberate in Malerkotla, Gurdaspur and Sri Muktsar Sahib by 2025-26. Stable waste administration initiatives have gathered tempo with completion of 28 block-level plastic waste administration models and 22 extra models are below progress. Throughout FY 2025-26, 77 further models are deliberate to be put in in villages to handle dry/plastic waste generated in rural areas.
Mundian categorically stated that after attaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) standing, the state of Punjab is now progressing in the direction of attaining ODF Plus (Mannequin) standing for all villages by March 31, 2026. To this point, 2250 villages have adopted scientific wastewater administration fashions, whereas work is ongoing in 1812 villages. Equally, screening-cum-desilting chambers have been constructed in 8747 villages and compost pits for stable waste administration have been accomplished in 4,260 villages.
