Urban Affairs Ministry vision forViksit Bharat focuses on providing ‘drink from tap’ facilities

Union Ministry aims to achieve water security and sustainability by shifting to "drink from tap" facilities for public health.

Aligning with the Centre’s “Viksit Bharat” vision, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has created a blueprint for achieving comprehensive water security and sustainability across the country, with a focus on shifting to “drink from tap” facilities.

The document envisages a “shift from bottled water and water tankers to providing clean, safe drinking water directly from taps in urban and rural areas by improving water treatment systems and infrastructure for a sustainable, reliable supply”.

This will improve water quality and enhance public health by reducing the risk of waterborne diseases and contamination, it said.

The Centre’s “Viksit Bharat @2047” initiative envisions India as a developed nation by the centenary of its Independence in 2047.  

The document, which is part of the Ministry’s vision and plan for achieving the goal, focusses on several transformative initiatives like recycling water for agriculture to enhance availability, reduce dependence on freshwater, and support sustainable farming and industrial water reuse.

According to the document, which has been submitted to a Parliamentary Standing Committee by the Ministry, the aim is to not only ensure equitable water access but also create a robust infrastructure that supports sustainable water use and management for urban and rural populations.

Some of the other plans mentioned are rejuvenation of water bodies; revival of lakes, ponds, and rivers to restore water storage capacity and improve quality; boosting groundwater recharge; recharging shallow aquifers to prevent groundwater depletion and sustain urban water supplies; and restoring traditional wells to strengthen local water resources and reduce external dependence.