Puducherry govt. to launch scheme to provide free 20-litre water cans to households

The Puducherry government has decided to launch a scheme on April 14, 2025, to distribute free 20-litre water cans to households in places in the Union Territory (UT) where the quality of drinking water has deteriorated, Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminarayanan informed the Assembly on Wednesday (March 19, 2025).

The Puducherry government has decided to launch a scheme on April 14, 2025, to distribute free 20-litre water cans to households in places in the Union Territory (UT) where the quality of drinking water has deteriorated, Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminarayanan informed the Assembly on Wednesday (March 19, 2025).

Replying to a question by Independent legislator Nehru alias Kuppusamy, the Minister said the residents of Puducherry are completely dependent on groundwater for their drinking water needs. New borewells have been dug considering popultion growth and the growing requirements of the public. As a result of excess extraction of groundwater resources, water has become saline, the Minister said. 

“To alleviate the problem, the water drawn from borewells, with a high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) value, is blended at the respective overhead tanks with water drawn from borewells, which has permissible TDS levels. It is then supplied to the public. Action is being taken to issue one water can of 20-litre capacity to each household in the affected areas,” he said. 

The government has proposed to set up seven brackish water desalination plants, each having 1 MLD capacity, to supply quality drinking water to people in urban areas. The brackish water treatment plants will be set up with an assistance of ₹31 crore from NABARD. The brackish water treatment plant will be first set up on the Swadeshi Mill campus with a capacity to produce 10 lakh litres of water.