Bhubaneswar: Drinking water supply in the cities and towns of Odisha has improved over the past few years with a number of initiatives and schemes being implemented by the state govt, but there are still areas which require focus.
The Water Corporation of India (Watco), a company incorporated under the housing and urban development department, has been entrusted with the pivotal responsibility of supplying safe and potable drinking water in the urban areas of the state.

Through pioneering initiatives like Sujal or Drink from Tap, the corporation has so far successfully implemented 24×7 water supply in places like Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and in 20 other urban local bodies.
After successful implementation in pilot zones, 24×7 safe drinking water supply with confirmed quality has been up-scaled in the entire Puri town. As many as 33,300 tap connections, covering a population of around 2.50 lakh, have been installed under the project.
This is one of the projects in the country which has covered an entire city with 24×7 water supply. “After successful implementation of 24×7 water supply in Puri, action has been taken to provide safe and clean drinking water through Drink From Tap scheme in other towns,” Watco CEO Pradipta Swain said.
However, despite these efforts, access to safe and uncontaminated drinking water remains a significant cause of concern in urban areas, particularly in the slums of Bhubaneswar. Many complained that govt is not doing enough to ensure access to drinking water.
According to a survey conducted by Aatmashakti, an NGO, 350 out of around 370 authorised or unauthorised slums in Bhubaneswar face drinking water problems.
Binapani Jena of Patadevi slum near Mancheswar said, “Our community faces multiple water issues, including insufficient supply, muddy and foul-smelling water.”
Watco general manager Sarat Mishra said, “The frequency of water supply depends on localities. Some of them have 24×7 supply while others water for 5-6 hours a day.”

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