Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has announced a Rs 2,014 crore drinking water project for Aurangabad, Sasaram and Dehri, with the scheme set to use water from the Sone river to expand supplies and strengthen existing networks in the three towns. The project is expected to serve around 8 lakh people initially and nearly 12 lakh by 2051.
The Chief Minister’s Office said on Thursday that NABARD had approved Rs 1,774 crore for upgrading Bihar’s drinking water infrastructure under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). The remaining components of the Rs 2,014 crore investment were not detailed in the statement.
The project will draw surface water from the Sone river to reinforce existing drinking water systems in Aurangabad, Sasaram and Dehri. The announcement did not specify the planned treatment capacity, distribution network length, construction schedule or the individual allocation for each town.
Choudhary thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government for supporting the project through the financing approval. According to the statement, the state government considers the scheme part of its broader effort to expand basic infrastructure and improve civic amenities across Bihar.
The proposed coverage numbers indicate that the scheme has been planned around both current demand and long-term population growth. The three towns together are expected to see the number of people covered rise from approximately 8 lakh at present to nearly 12 lakh by 2051. The statement did not provide a projected date for commissioning the system or details of the phases in which the network will be developed.
The use of Sone river water will add a surface-water source to the towns’ existing supply arrangements. The announcement described the project as a measure to improve water availability, but did not set out the present reliability of supplies, the condition of existing infrastructure or the treatment and transmission systems that will be upgraded.
The Chief Minister also linked the initiative to the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign, which focuses on water conservation, environmental protection and the sustainable use of water resources. The statement presented the drinking water project as part of that wider approach to managing water and expanding access to basic services.
NABARD’s approval under RIDF provides the principal financing commitment disclosed so far. The Rural Infrastructure Development Fund is being used in this case to support drinking water infrastructure, while implementation will be undertaken by the Bihar government. The supplied announcement did not identify the executing agency, procurement process, land requirements or safeguards connected with drawing water from the Sone.
The state government said it remained committed to ensuring that residents had access to clean and adequate drinking water. The next publicly stated step is the implementation of the approved project, although the announcement did not provide a tender deadline, construction timetable or commissioning milestone.
