Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian informed that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Government has channelled investment of over Rs.2,900 crore towards strengthening water supply and sanitation infrastructure across Punjab. He said this sustained financial push has accelerated completion of major projects, expanded technology adoption and reinforced water quality and sanitation systems, with the direct outcome of improving daily lives in rural and semi-urban areas.
He said that with 100 percent coverage, over 34 lakh families are currently receiving safe and potable drinking water in the state. The Minister informed that for FY 2025-26, the annual implementation plan of Rs.2,190.80 crore, in rural sanitation sector, has been approved for rural development in the state.
The Cabinet Minister said that Punjab has already achieved the target of providing Functional Household Tap Connections to every household in rural areas, emerging as the fifth state in the country to attain this milestone. He said that focused attention was given to water quality-affected regions through 15 major surface water supply projects covering 1,706 villages.
Of these, four projects have already been commissioned, while 11 are nearing completion. These projects will collectively benefit nearly 25 lakh rural households by ensuring dependable surface water supply, he added. During the current financial year, the Water Supply and Sanitation Minister said, 205 rural water supply schemes were completed at a cost of Rs.278.37 crore, benefiting around 2.33 lakh rural residents by improving access, pressure and reliability of drinking water supply.
He said that a project involving 144 water supply schemes covering 176 villages has been approved at a cost of Rs.160 crore and is scheduled for completion by 2026-27. The project will benefit about 3.04 lakh rural residents. In addition, a proposal for up-gradation of 98 schemes covering 127 villages in 19 districts, with an estimated cost of Rs.105 crore, is under approval.
The Cabinet Minister said that the foundation stone for up-gradation of water supply and sewerage works in the historic city of Sri Muktsar Sahib has been laid by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann recently with an investment of Rs.140 crore, further strengthening coordinated infrastructure planning across urban and rural areas.
He informed that technology-led governance remained a key focus area during the year. An IoT-based automation and monitoring system has been implemented in 346 water supply schemes covering 897 villages. These schemes are linked to a web and mobile app-based dashboard that tracks operational parameters in real time, enabling faster response and improved service delivery.
Besides this, the Cabinet Minister said, a strong institutional framework for water quality monitoring has been put in place through a three-tier network of laboratories comprising one state-level, seven regional-level, 17 district-level and seven block-level laboratories. All laboratories are NABL accredited for chemical testing, while seven laboratories are also equipped for bacteriological analysis.
The department is strengthening bacteriological facilities at these laboratories and establishing similar sections in 17 district-level laboratories at a cost of about Rs.11.42 crore, with completion targeted by FY 2025-26. Infrastructure development and equipment installation have already been completed in seven laboratories, he added.
S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that focused mitigation measures have been undertaken in villages affected by heavy metals in groundwater. Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants have been installed in 10 villages affected by sulphate, nitrate and selenium at a cost of Rs.54.33 lakh. Community Water Purification Plants in 23 uranium-affected villages, costing Rs.5.91 crore, are under execution and are expected to be completed by February 2026.
He said that administrative approval has been granted for Arsenic-cum-Iron Removal Plants in 32 arsenic-affected villages at a cost of Rs.9.77 crore, with the tender process underway. Community Water Purification Plants have also been installed in four fluoride-affected villages at a cost of Rs.38.69 lakh, while similar works in two arsenic-affected villages costing Rs.18.60 lakh are scheduled for completion by December 2025.
A Uranium Removal Plant has been installed at village Ranbirpura in Patiala district under CSR support. The Water Supply and Sanitation Minister said that in the rural sanitation sector, 1598 community sanitary complexes have been constructed across the state and work on 580 additional complexes is ongoing.
During the current financial year, 6606 households were provided with toilets, while construction of 12,967 household toilets is in progress. Twenty biogas plants have been established at district-level gaushalas, with three more planned in Malerkotla, Gurdaspur and Sri Muktsar Sahib by 2025-26. Solid waste management initiatives have gathered pace with completion of 28 block-level plastic waste management units and 22 more units are under progress.
During FY 2025-26, 77 additional units are planned to be installed in villages to manage dry/plastic waste generated in rural areas. S. Hardeep Singh Mundian categorically said that after achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, the state of Punjab is now progressing towards achieving ODF Plus (Model) status for all villages by March 31, 2026.
So far, 2250 villages have adopted scientific wastewater management models, while work is ongoing in 1812 villages. Similarly, screening-cum-desilting chambers have been constructed in 8747 villages and compost pits for solid waste management have been completed in 4,260 villages.