Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Saturday laid the foundation stone of a canal water-based project aimed at ensuring ensure clean and potable drinking water to every household in Fazilka.

Mann said the groundwater of this area has a great extent of TDS (total dissolved solids) and other elements, which is the main cause of diseases like Hepatitis C, cancer, skin diseases and others. Particularly the Balluana constituency was facing acute shortage of drinking water and the state government has decided to set up the project at a cost of Rs 578.28 crore in the area, an official statement quoting him said. This project will provide potable water to 122 villages and 15 ‘dhanian’ (hamlets) in various blocks like Abohar, Khuhian Sarvar, Arniwala and Fazilka, he said. Once completed, this project will cover a population of 4,75,144 in 79,190 households, he said. Mann said this project is purely based on a canal water system which will draw water from Gang canal with a capacity of 68 MLD (million litres per day) and the project will be completed within 30 months.

He said people will be immensely benefited by it as around 750 kilometre pipeline will be laid and 21 water supply schemes will be set up to provide drinking water to every household, the statement said. Filter house, pump house and clear water tank among other things will be established at the project site for cleaning and storage of water and other purposes, he stated. Mann also said from April 1, canal water will be available to the farmers for cotton cultivation. Police will be deputed to check stealing of canal water to ensure that everyone gets water, said Mann, adding that he has already instructed officials to desilt the entire canal system within two months.