Bhubaneswar, March 23: The Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) has observed the World Water Day 2022 on Tuesday here with the theme ‘Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible’.
“Govt. of Odisha is taking pioneering steps to sustainably manage the state’s groundwater reserve and gradually shifting its Drinking Water Supply projects to surface water sources. We need to work together to restore this precious hidden resource for our future generations” said G. Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha.
Welcoming the guests, Chief Executive Officer of WATCO Er. P. K. Swain emphasised on the community involvement in operation and maintenance of the drinking water supply assets with its management.
“We have involved Jalsathis from the local self help groups in Urban Local Bodies, which has emerged as a replicable model in entire country with 24×7 drinking water supply projects as well as ‘Drink from Tap Mission’. Now we are involving the Transgender SHG members in operation and maintenance of one of our Water Treatment Plant located at Pratapnagari, Cuttack, which is going to be the first in entire country and we are sensitizing all for the minimal use of ground water,” he mentioned.
Resident Project Manager for WATCO-PMC Chinmay Tripathy made a presentation on this year’s theme relating it with WATCO activities as well as the reform measures taken so far in Odisha’s water sector.
Every year, March 22 is observed as the World Water Day globally to highlight the importance of freshwater and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Among other dignitaries, senior officials from Housing & Urban Development Department Special Secretaries Susanta Kumar Purohit and Sagarika Patnaik, Engineer in Chiefs for PHEO Er. Rabindra Nath Nayak and for OWSSB Er. Hadibandhu Behera, Managing Director, WATCO Er. Sarat Chandra Mishra, Director, Odisha Water Academy Dr. Santanu Rath, transgender leaders Samikshya and Tanushree along with senior officials from WATCO, PHEO, OWSSB, Jalsathis and transgender SHG members from Cuttack were present.
