Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik initiated the ‘Drink From Tap’ mission in Puri, which achieved ‘the first city in India’ to provide a 24/7 quality drinking water supply, an official said. The initiative was to supply water to “Quality Standards of IS 10500”, which will help the 2.5 lakh population and two crore tourists visit the city annually.

“Supplying drink from tap quality water to every house was a life-changing project and a step to make Odisha’s Puri a world-class heritage city,” CM Patnaik said. He also added, “Puri residents, tourists and travellers can now drink tap water in the city, be it at home or across the drinking water fountains. It was my dream to give piped water to every household in Odisha, and that is now turned into a reality.”

“Puri has become the first city in India to complete the highest quality 24/7 water supply, allowing people to drink directly from the tap water,” the statement said. The state government is assuring quality control of tap water through technology-based, real-time surveillance. A quick response team, including mobile crews, are set up for immediate fixing of leakages, quality of water, pressure supply and other issues, the statement added.