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

Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath, addressing the first day of the 13th Tripura Legislative Assembly session, informed that solar-based drinking water projects have been taken up in 50 rural areas across the state. An allocation of ₹8 crore has been made for the initiative, of which 12 villages have already been covered.

“In Birendra Para and Gobinda Bari under Chawmanu Assembly Constituency, around 84 families are getting drinking water through natural waterfalls and boring. In Biranjoy Para and Hajiray Para, 60 families benefited, while in Sanirai Para 17 families, in Rajnagar Para 15 families, and in Durga Chowmuhani, Kalaynpur Colony, along with around 12 other locations, the scheme has been successful,” the Minister said.

He further explained that the project works best in areas where natural waterfalls or boring facilities are available, as the water is purified at the source. “Wherever laying pipelines was not feasible, this innovative scheme has provided a practical solution,” Nath noted.

Highlighting the progress in rural water connectivity, the Minister said that earlier only 2.56% of households — about 19,251 families — had access to piped water supply. Today, over 6 lakh rural families are covered.

“Covering 6 lakh families is no small achievement. In public meetings, when I ask, many people proudly raise their hands to say they have received pipeline connections. You created problems, but we solved them,” he added.