Agartala, Dec 25 (PTI) Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA), a state government undertaking, has set a target to install community-based purified water plants through solar energy in 50 most inaccessible tribal hamlets, an official said on Wednesday.
The target has been envisaged after successful implementation of the first phase of community-based purified water plants through solar energy in 14 tribal hamlets at a cost of Rs 2.24 crore where electricity is not economically viable on account of hilly terrain and very low population density.
“The villagers can’t afford to pay high running and maintenance costs of power bills which lead to non-functional rural water supply in some tribal habitations. To address the problem, 14 inaccessible tribal habitations had been identified and extended purified drinking water by using solar energy”, TREDA’s joint director Debabrata Sulkadas told PTI.
He said the Centre after observing the success of first phase work, has sanctioned Rs 8 crore to undertake another project to cover as many as 50 most remote tribal villages with purified water plants by solar energy.
“We are going to roll out the second phase of community-based purified water plants through solar energy in as many as 50 tribal villages at a cost of Rs 8 crore. These tribal villages located in hilly terrains will get purified water supply at the earliest”, he said.
The project appeared beneficial for people living in remote tribal areas where the Jal Jeevan Mission falls short of supplying drinking water due to adverse geographical conditions and other factors, he said.
Under the project, water will be collected from local waterfalls or bored water sources will be pumped to a place where this will be purified before supplying to the villagers, he said.
The villagers don’t need to pay electricity bills for using purified drinking water as the entire system is solar powered, he said, adding the facility will also keep the water-borne disease at bay in tribal-dominated hilly areas. PTI PS RG
