Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday inaugurated an ambitious scheme in Nalanda district, under which flood waters will be treated for supply to households in the southern part of the state.
Kumar, following the inauguration of Ganga Water Supply Scheme (GWSS) in Rajgir, said the project will facilitate supply of 135 litres of treated Ganga water every day for each person in a household.
The scheme, estimated to cost over Rs 4,000 crore, will also be dedicated to the people of Gaya and Bodh Gaya on Monday.
"As part of the project, floodwaters of River Ganga will be stored, treated, and supplied to Rajgir, Gaya, and Bodh Gaya, which register high tourist footfall.
"GWSS will meet the demand for drinking water in these areas by supplying the treated water. Now, people can confidently say that the state government is facilitating supply of sacred Ganga water to their homes. I can also confidently say that I have done something for the region," said the CM.
Speaking on the occasion, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said the project saw the light of the day due to the efforts of "our visionary CM".
"It was no mean task to provide treated water to these areas. It all happened because of the initiatives taken by the CM. The Mahagathbandhan government in the state will continue to initiate several welfare measures for the people of the state under the leadership of our visionary CM," Yadav said.
GWSS, also known as Ganga Jal Apoorti Yojana, is a "first-of-its-kind project" in India, according to Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), which is implementing the scheme.
"The initiative has two objectives. First, it conserves floodwater, preventing wastage, and second, it transforms this precious resource into safe, drinkable water. This floodwater will be lifted through pumps at Hathidah and transported through a 151-kilometre pipeline to three enormous reservoirs in Rajgir, Tetar, and Gaya," a statement issued by MEIL said.
-With PTI Input
