AGARTALA, March 16 (TIWN): An awareness rally was organized by the PWD (DWS) department to observe the ‘National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week’, here today. The ‘National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week’ will continue till March 22.

The rally started from Umakanta School Ground and travelled through various routes of the city to spread awareness among the people of the state. Minister for Public Works (Drinking Water and Sanitation) Ratan Bhowmik, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) Dr. Prafullajit Sinha, teachers, employees of local bodies, NGOs and school students participated in the awareness rally.

Around 1000 peoples from each section of the society participated in the rally to spread awareness among the people about the benefits of safe and clean drinking water and sanitation.

Addressing in the rally minister for Public Works (Drinking Water and Sanitation) Ratan Bhowmik said that safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life. 80 percent people of the state are consuming drinking water from water treatment plants, he added.

“The state government has launched several schemes which the Central government doesn’t have. The government has been providing accommodation facility to shelter-less people” Bhowmik added. He also reiterated that the government would continue to work for betterment of the people.

It is to be mentioned here that, many interior tribal localities in Tripura are facing acute drinking water crisis mainly caused by the dry spell.