Bhubaneswar: With an to aim to provide piped water to every family in urban areas of the State, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched the ‘Jala Sathi’ programme in Bhubaneswar. Initially, eight wards of the Odisha Capital have been covered under the 5T initiative of the Housing and Urban
Development. Later the ‘Jala Sathi’ will be launched in entire Bhubaneswar and other urban areas of the State.

The Jala Sathis will visit door to door to collect monthly water bills and test samples of water being supplied to people. Also, they will act as facilitators for people to provide them piped water connections.

As many as 5,000 Jala Sathis will be recruited and 70 lakh people in urban areas will benefitted under the programme.

The WATCO and the women self help groups’ association has signed an agreement in connection with this recently.

The Chief Minister said mothers are more careful about good health of family members and safe drinking water plays a vital role in achieving the purpose.

“Women participation in managing supply of drinking water is quite significant in this direction. As ‘Jala Sathis’ women are expected to win the confidence of people and act as a bridge between people and the State government,” he added.

He also distributed water quality testing kit and POS machines among women self help group members.

Among others, Ministers Tukuni Sahu and Ashok Panda, MLAs Ananta Narayan Jena and Susanta Rout and officials were present at the programme.