Committed to ensuring clean and safe drinking water for every household, the Himachal Pradesh government has made significant progress over the past two and a half years. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, several ambitious projects are underway to upgrade and modernize water infrastructure across both rural and urban areas.
The state has launched the ‘Mukhya Mantri Swachh Jal Shodhan Yojana’ with an initial budget of Rs. 80 crore, focusing on advanced water purification technologies such as ozonation, UV filtration, RO, and nano-filtration. These measures aim to significantly reduce waterborne diseases and improve overall public health.
Drinking Water Treatment Plants worth Rs. 43 crore are planned for Jawalamukhi, Jaswan, Pragpur, and Dehra in Kangra district next year. Additionally, real-time water quality monitoring using sensor-based systems is being installed in 291 schemes across 10 districts. The government plans to set up one state-level and 14 district-level NABL-accredited water testing laboratories, adding to the 71 laboratories already established.
Rural drinking water projects are a key focus, with Rs. 745 crore allocated to supply uninterrupted water to 20,663 rural households under the Rural Drinking Water Up-gradation Project. Another Rs. 1,062 crore is being invested in installing over 79,000 Functional Household Tap Connections across 2,471 settlements, with 43% of the work already completed.
Special attention is being given to the challenging cold regions. In Lahaul-Spiti, 20 water supply schemes worth Rs. 27 crore will address winter water supply issues, while six schemes totaling Rs. 72 crore will be implemented in Kinnaur district.
In urban areas, Rs. 298.87 crore is being spent on water supply projects in 17 towns including Mandi, Theog, Chamba, Hamirpur, Dalhousie, and Palampur. New schemes costing Rs. 167 crore are planned in nine towns such as Bhuntar, Nahan, Jawali, and others. Round-the-clock water supply projects are underway in 12 identified areas, with work progressing in towns like Rampur, Chamba, and Nalagarh.
To promote sustainability, HIMURJA will install solar panels in water supply, sewerage, and irrigation projects. Sewerage infrastructure is being developed in six towns currently lacking facilities, with five more towns set to receive new schemes in the coming year. Additionally, 41 rural sewerage schemes have been approved, with work starting soon in 14 towns across Kangra, Mandi, Chamba, and Kinnaur.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu emphasized the government’s commitment to health and basic amenities: “There will be no compromise on the health of the people. Every household must have access to clean and safe drinking water along with proper sewerage and sanitation facilities. Our government’s innovative efforts are aimed at realizing the dream of a ‘Clean and Green Himachal’.”
These initiatives collectively position Himachal Pradesh as a model state for sustainable development and public welfare, promising a healthier future for all its citizens.
