PLANS have been set to im­plement rural water supply projects in 655 villages across the nation in 2025-26 financial year, said U Soe Maung, the director of the Department of Rural Development, under the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development.

In so doing, villages will be categorized into four groups. These are the villages with wa­ter scarcity, the villages with water insufficiency, the villages with unsafe water and the villag­es with safe water.

“The department will allo­cate some K9 billion from the State budget to implement pro­jects in 655 villages in the entire nation. Among these projects, some projects are undergoing but some projects are at the stage of tender invitation. The water supply projects with the use of interest incomes from the emerald green project are being implemented as usual. The emerald green project cov­ers more than 1,000 villages per year. Although the earlier num­ber counts for 655 project villag­es, if the department spends incomes from interest of the emerald green project, number of project villages will be more than 1,000,” said the director.

During this financial year, the rural water supply projects have been implemented since April and May this financial year. As such, some of these projects have completed. The Department of Rural Devel­opment is striving to meet the target of supplying safe drinking water to all rural people in 2030. — ASH/TTA