Prez launches Rs 100-crore drinking water project

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday launched a Rs 100-crore project by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math aimed at providing clean drinking water to 10 million people in 5,000 villages across the country.

Kovind, on his first visit to Kerala as President, inaugurated the Jivamritam filtration systems at the Math’s headquarters at Vallikkavu in Kollam district, as part of Mata Amritanandamayi’s 64th birthday celebrations.

Speaking in the presence of the spiritual leader, the President lauded Kerala’s tradition of spiritualism and social reform defined by the likes of Adi Shankaracharya, Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali.“Kerala’s spiritual consciousness is well beyond faith and religious distinctions,” he said.

According to the Math, each Jivamritam system is capable of addressing daily drinking-water needs of about 400 five-member families.

It proposes to deploy all 5,000 filtration systems within a year. The President said such initiatives helped in building “a better society and a happier nation”.

Earlier, Governor P Sathasivam and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the President on his arrival at Thiruvananthapuram.