Odisha launches helpline number 1916 for water supply grievance

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched BASUDHA helpline number 1916 for rural water supply grievance and unveiled the logo of ‘Buxi Jagabandhu Assured Drinking Water to all Habitations’.

The dedicated helpline will receive complaints from Gram Panchayats on break down and shutdown of tube-wells and dipped water supply from 6 am to 6 pm and which will be addressed in time bound manner. There is also a provision for outbound calls to public for information dissemination and gathering feedback on water, state a press note.

“BASUDHA helpline 1916, a dedicated grievance management initiative for rural water supply in the State has been opened today for the public. I hope rural people will get access to record their complaints regarding breakdown and non-functioning of projects,” the CM said on the occasion.

“The Department should also gear up the execution of the projects to achieve the goal of providing safe drinking water to all households in the rural areas of the State,” stressed the Chief Minister.

The aim of the scheme was all households will have access to use safe and adequate drinking water within a reasonable distance, enabling the communities to monitor and keep surveillance on their drinking water sources, ensure portability, reliability, sustainability, convenience and equity.

In the last 18 months Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department has taken up 4200 new piped water supply projects and 65 mega piped water supply projects with an outlay of over Rs 10,500 crores. Similarly, over 3000 solar dual pumps have been installed.

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