'Puri’s transformation fascinated me': Anand Mahindra praises Indian city's water system where people drink from taps

Indian industrialist Anand Mahindra often praises and promotes initiatives from the homeland online. From helping out a child in need to asking the system to take action, he does it all as a welcomed vigilante and his followers follow the lead. Recently, the business tycoon took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise Puri, a coastal city in Odisha, for achieving a feat that might sound impossible for the rest of the country. The city has a public water system trusted enough that residents drink water directly from the tap. Mahindra pointed out how in a country where rivers are worshipped, people "rarely trust" the water that flows into their homes. "Which is why Puri’s transformation fascinated me. An entire city where people can apparently drink straight from the tap," he wrote. He described Puri's transformation as an example of what can happen when political leadership, administrative execution and community participation work together. He also credited local women known as 'Jal Sathis' for becoming the guardians of the city's water quality and helping build public trust in the system. "My #MondayMotivation this week comes from leaders & participative citizens who proved that governance can genuinely improve the quality of everyday life," he added. According to a video shared by Mahindra, Puri is one of the few Indian cities where residents can reportedly drink tap water without having to boil or filter it first, or purchase bottled water instead. The video reveals that about a decade ago, Puri faced challenges similar to those of many urban centres across the country. Only half of the households had access to piped water while others relied on water tankers or bottled water. Nearly 47% of water was lost due to leakages from damaged pipelines, while contamination and irregular supply remained persistent concerns. To address these issues, Odisha launched a major upgrade of the city's water systems. The project included the development of a 24-hour smart water distribution network. The system uses technology-driven monitoring, with sensors tracking water flow, pressure, and chlorine levels at regular intervals. Water sources from the Bhargavi river are treated, filtered and monitored before reaching the homes.A key part of the initiative is the involvement of local women called 'Jal Sathis'. They played an important role in conducting community outreach, spreading awareness and building confidence among residents about the safety of tap water. Today, nearly 2.5 lakh residents receive BIS-certified drinking water directly through their taps, while the city’s approximately 20 million annual tourists also benefit from the improved water infrastructure. Moreover, water loss through leakages has dropped from 47% to around 15% along with plastic waste reportedly decreasing by nearly 400 metric tonnes annually.