Kolkata: A water treatment plant with a production capacity of 10,000 bottles of varying quantity ranging from 600ml to 20 liters was inaugurated in West Midnapore on Wednesday under Sulabh Drinking Water project to provide the villagers arsenic-free safe drinking water.
The project aims to provide arsenic free safe drinking water of the World Health Organis-ation standard at cheap rates to the rural population of around 2,500-3,000 in the Panchberia and nearby villages at Daspur block of the district. The new water treatment plant has a sophisticated laboratory and a completely automated bottling plant.
The produced water is being sold to the villagers at less than Rs 1 per litre.
The villagers along with women from the local self-help group will run the plant with supervision and required training provided by Sulabh International Social Service Organisation (SISSO). After inaugurating the plant, SISSO founder Dr Bindeshwar Pathak said, “I have been totally surprised after visiting the plant. It is amazing that the village-level workers and women could operate and manage such a sophisticated plant at this rate. Sulabh would be happy to provide all support and technical assistance. The project is an excellent example of empowerment of rural community, particularly women at the village level.”
Prof. K. J. Nath, chairman Arsenic Task Force and advisor (SISSO) said, “The stories of Madhusudankati (North 24 Parganas) and Panchberia (Midnapore) look like a fairy tale. During my four decades of experience in community water supply and sanitation, I’ve never visited such a plant which is 100 per cent operated and managed by the village people with necessary training and skill development. He added, “It is nothing short of a social revolution, where villagers themselves could produce safe water for their household and institutional needs and will get a direct benefit. The diarrhoea infections in Daspur block were reduced significantly, when the people started drinking water from the new low cost plant. I recommend, country wide scaling up of the project.” in partnership with PRI’s.”
