The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) under the Power Department is working to provide drinking water in 50 rural areas through an innovative scheme using solar energy.

This was informed by Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on the first day of the 13th Tripura Legislative Assembly today.

The Power Minister said that through TREDA, under the Power Department, solar-based drinking water projects have been taken up targeting 50 rural areas.

The Minister said for this project, Rs 8 crore will be spent, and so far, 12 rural areas have been covered.

“In Birendra Para, Gobinda Bari under Chawmanu Assembly Constituency, around 84 families have benefitted using natural waterfalls or boring. In Biranjoy Para and Hajiray Para, 60 families benefitted; in Sanirai Para, 17 families; in Rajnagar Para, 15 families; and in Durga Chowmuhani, Kalaynpur Colony, and around 12 other locations, it has been successful. I will not say that it will be successful everywhere, but where natural waterfalls and boaring are available it has worked well and the water is purified. Wherever laying pipelines was not possible, we are using this innovative scheme,” said the Power Minister.

The Minister further informed that earlier only 2.56%  around 19,251 families  in rural areas had pipeline connections, but now over 6 lakh families are covered.

“Covering 6 lakh families is not a matter of joke. Wherever I go in meetings, many people raise their hands and say they have received pipeline connections. Earlier government used to create problem but we work to solve problem,” said the Minister.