Bhubaneswar, April 29: The state government has decided to install water meters in each household in the urban areas. One will have to pay according to the amount one consumes.

In the first phase, the water metes will be installed in all the households of Bhubaneswar. Later, meters will have to be installed in all other urban local bodies where pipe water is available. A decision to this effect got the nod from chief minister Naveen Patnaik today.

Secretary of the housing and urban development Injeet Srinivas said: “Water meters will be installed in all 103 urban local bodies in the next 10 years. The work of installing the meters will begin from Bhubaneswar shortly.”

The state government plans to formulate a water policy by the end of May in an attempt to provide water to all.

Housing and urban development minister Debi Prasad Mishra said: “Our aim is to provide at least 135 litres to each person a day. Of the 103 urban local bodies, nearly 49 are yet to get required water supply.”

The government has planned to invest Rs 4,000 crore to improve pipe water supply across the state.

Henceforth, the government will make laws stricter with regard to setting up tube wells and borewells. It would also be mandatory for people to take connections from the pipe water supply scheme rather than install borewells. The state government plans to set up 4,000 tube wells by June.