Naveen Patnaik at the high-level meet at secretariat on Tuesday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 31: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today directed the officials to attach priority to provide safe pipewater to each panchayat headquarter.

The directive was issued at a high-level review meeting, chaired by the chief minister this evening.

The meeting decided to execute a total of 1,513 more pipewater supply projects at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore during the current year.

At present, around 6,843 pipewater projects are operational in the rural areas across Orissa.

The chief minister asked the rural development department officials to prepare a detailed plan to ensure provision of safe drinking water to more families.

Moreover, the chief minister stressed on the need for providing pipewater to schools, hospitals and market places.

It was revealed from the review that 40,321 primary schools, out of a total of 42,567 primary schools, have been provided with the drinking water facilities. Similarly, out of 71,056 mining anganwadi centres, provision of drinking water has been made in 63,006 centres.

It has also been decided that steps would be taken to provide pipewater facilities to rest of the schools.

The maintenance status of various drinking water sources was also reviewed.

According to the review, repairs had been taken up on 3,598 pipewater projects.

The chief minister also instructed the officials to expedite execution of the Rs 195-crore-project for providing safe drinking water to the areas affected by the fluoride problem.

As many as seven blocks of Nuapada district and two blocks of Puri district were affected by the fluoride problem.