Chandigarh, Aug 4: Taking a jibe at the Opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said, “INDIA bloc should prepare itself to sit in the Opposition in 2029 as well.” 

“I assure you that let the Opposition do whatever it wants to do, in 2029 NDA will come, Modi-ji will come,” he said while addressing a gathering here after inaugurating the 24x7 water supply project for Manimajra under the Smart City Mission.

“They (Opposition) do not know that the BJP has won more seats in this election than the number of seats the Congress got in three elections. These people who want to spread instability, repeatedly say that this government is not going to last. I have come to assure them that not only will the government complete its term but the next government will be of the NDA, and be ready to sit in the Opposition.”

Shah inaugurated a round-the-clock water supply project for Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, under the Smart City Mission in Manimajra to benefit over 1 lakh residents. He also launched newly developed national apps: e-Sakshya, Nyay Setu, Nyay Shruti and e-Summon, marking a significant step in enhancing digital governance and justice accessibility.

“Water is very important, we cannot exist without it. When it is not clear, we get a lot of diseases. For this whole area, a 24x7 supply of filter-cleaned water will be provided through this for the people in the area. It will stand to the test of time,” he said.

He reached the Chandigarh airport and was received by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. The Home Minister headed directly to Manimajra to launch the project constructed at the cost of Rs 75 crore and will benefit over 1 lakh residents in Manimajra, including those living in Modern Housing Complex, Shivalik Enclave, Indira Colony and Shastri Nagar.

The project is aimed at avoiding the wastage of water by minimising its storage by the public through a 24x7 high-pressure supply.

Other features of the project include water resource augmentation through leakage reduction, smart metering, limited dependence on groundwater and monitoring of energy consumption.

A total of 22 km of water supply pipeline has been laid for this project. Two underground water reservoirs, each having a capacity of two million gallons per day, have been set up.

Nearly 270 km of the city’s water supply network, which is not conducive for the supply of high-pressure water, will also be replaced later.

The project will be implemented phase-wise, for which the city has been divided into 55 district metering areas. The first district metering area will receive a round-the-clock water supply by 2024, with the entire city expected to be covered by 2028.

--IANS