Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated the 24x7 water supply project completed at a cost of about Rs 75 crore at Manimajra in the Union Territory of Chandigarh under the Smart City Mission. The Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, the Rajya Sabha MP, Shri Satnam Singh Sandhu, the Union Home Secretary and the Director of the Intelligence Bureau were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

Addressing the inaugural event, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah said more than one lakh people will be benefitted with this project and this settlement spread over 855 acres will now be able to get water round the clock through a new pipeline having total length of 22 km. He said that arrangements have been made to ensure 24-hour water availability by building two huge reservoirs. He also said that with the installation of smart meters, the cost of leakage will no longer be borne by the consumers, further water leakage houses will be immediately identified and a VFD pump has also been installed to ensure a good water pressure.

The Union Home Minister said that water is life and if water is contaminated or not available in the required quantity, then people face difficulties and suffer from diseases. He said that from today filtered water will be provided to the people of the area through one of the most modern filtration plant, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Shri Amit Shah said that facilities like water and sewerage were always available in Chandigarh from the very beginning. But due to increase in population, old pipelines, water quality has reduced over time. He said that filtration plants have to be modernized, new pipelines have to be built and water availability also has to be increased. He said that keeping these aspects in mind, today a scheme has been inaugurated to provide water to the people of the Manimajra area round the clock. The Home Minister said that now the women of the area do not need to set an alarm in their mobiles for getting up to fill water. He said that from now on water will be available in their tap whenever they need it. Shri Amit Shah also said that now there will be no tankers, and be it the first floor or the fourth floor, the entire 1 lakh people of the area of Manimajra will get water smoothly starting today.

Shri Amit Shah said that Shri Narendra Modi since becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, has tried to improve the quality of life in cities by implementing the Smart City Scheme. He said Chandigarh was among the first smart cities to be announced. The Government of India has spent more than Rs.1000 crores under the Smart City project in Chandigarh.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his second term launched the scheme of providing clean water to every citizen and tap water to every household across the country under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that in less than seven years, water has been provided in 150 million homes through tap, which has helped provide clean drinking water to 74 per cent of the country's households. Shri Shah said that after the launch of the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' scheme, there has been a reduction of 3 lakh diarrhoea-related deaths in the country. The number of people dying of diarrhoea was once four lakh. He said that under 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal', three crore connections were given in 2023. Shri Shah expressed confidence that before the end of Shri Narendra Modi's third term as Prime Minister, every household in the country will have access to clean tap water.

Shri Amit Shah said that the government of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to build Chandigarh as per the Smart City Concept. He said that five sewage treatment plants were set up in Chandigarh, arrangements were made for solid waste management in a 20 acres land area, work has been done to regularize traffic by setting up Integrated Command and Control Center, which reduced the cases of traffic violations by 40% and fatal road accidents by 31%. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has spent Rs 30,000 crore in the last 10 years for the development of Chandigarh. Of this, Rs 29,000 crore has been spent on infrastructure and Rs 500 crore on railway development, he said.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the years from 2014 to 2024 deserve to be qualify as a golden era in the history of development of our country. There is no area of ​​life in which Modi ji did not try to bring change. The country has achieved many achievements in these 10 years. Be it sending the tricolor to the moon, giving a befitting reply to our enemies through surgical strikes and air strikes or making Kashmir a part of India forever by abolishing Article 370, building a Ram temple or creating infrastructure by building a network of roads. The people of this country have experienced development in every field.

Shri Amit Shah said that various initiatives like Startup India and Digital India have made India a manufacturing hub in the world today and that is why after 60 years, the people of the country have made Modi ji the Prime Minister for the third time and formed the NDA government with absolute majority. He said that for the first time after the 1960s, an individual, an organisation and a group of parties are  coming to power for third time in a row with an absolute majority. This is in a way is like  people’s stamp of approval for Modi ji and his developmental works.

The Union Home Minister said that let the opposition do what they have to, but in the year 2029, NDA will again come to power with Shri Narendra Modi ji. Shri Shah said that people who are repeatedly trying to spread a sense of instability by saying this government will not last, should be assured that this government will complete its full term of five years.

Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked with a great vision in every field. When 25 and 50 years of independence were completed,  the programs held felt like mere formalities.  But on the completion of 75 years of independence, when Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was celebrated, Modi ji not only worked to awaken patriotism of people, but also worked to fill 130 crore people with positive energy. Today, the entire country and 130 crore people of the country are working together under the leadership of Modi ji to make India a developed nation by 2047 and to make India number one in the world in every field.

The Union Home Minister said that the resolve of the citizens of the country will take the country forward on the path of becoming a developed nation. He said that a child's resolve not to leave food on his plate, or his resolve to touch feet of his parents everyday, or, a businessman's resolve not to evade taxes, or people's resolve to follow traffic rules strengthens the country and takes it forward. He said that one step taken by 130 crore people is equal to 130 crore steps forward taken by the country this is the miracle brought about by Modi ji. Shri Amit Shah said that 130 crore resolute people are committed to make India a developed India and today in Chandigarh, we have taken another step in this direction.

***

RK/VV/ASH/PS