Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 chaired a key review meeting on the proposed Tripura Water Grid, a state initiative aimed at providing safe and pure drinking water to residents by harnessing surplus surface water from the state's rivers.

Posting on X, Dr. Saha said the meeting deliberated in detail on plans to utilise surplus surface water from 12 rivers across Tripura for drinking water supply. In the first phase, surface water from the Gomati River will be used to supply drinking water to the towns of Udaipur, Bishalgarh, Bishramganj, and the state capital Agartala. He added that once implemented, the initiative would significantly reduce dependence on groundwater and provide a lasting solution to the problem of high iron concentration found in Tripura's groundwater aquifers.

Context

Tripura has long grappled with elevated iron levels in its groundwater, a geogenic contamination problem that renders underground sources unsuitable as a primary drinking water supply without expensive treatment. The state's surface water resources — spread across multiple river systems — have remained largely untapped for this purpose. The Tripura Water Grid concept seeks to change that by building infrastructure to abstract, treat, and distribute river surface water at scale.

The Gomati River, one of Tripura's major rivers, has been identified as the starting point. Connecting Udaipur, Bishalgarh, Bishramganj, and Agartala in the first phase means the grid would cover both the state capital and several significant urban centres from the outset.

Policy Backdrop

The Tripura Water Grid aligns with the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019, which promotes piped drinking water connections to every household and explicitly encourages states to diversify water sources beyond groundwater. The national mission has accelerated state-level investments in surface water infrastructure, particularly in regions where aquifer quality is compromised.

Across India's northeastern states, high iron and arsenic concentrations in groundwater aquifers have pushed planners toward river-based alternatives. Tripura's proposed grid fits into this broader national pattern of conjunctive water resource management — balancing surface and groundwater use to ensure long-term supply security.

Stakeholders and Impact

Urban households in Agartala and the three other first-phase towns stand to benefit most immediately, gaining access to treated surface water that meets drinking standards without the iron contamination risk. For groundwater users — both urban and rural — reduced abstraction pressure on aquifers could improve long-term water table stability across the state.

The plan to eventually cover all 12 rivers suggests the grid, if fully realised, could extend supply benefits to a much wider population across Tripura's districts. Environmental clearances, funding allocations, and inter-departmental coordination will be key variables in determining the pace of rollout.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on advancing the first-phase infrastructure from the Gomati River to the four identified towns. Subsequent phases are expected to bring the remaining eleven rivers into the grid framework, progressively expanding coverage. Observers will watch for formal project approvals, environmental clearances, and the release of funds — both state and central — that will determine whether the grid moves from planning to ground-level execution.

If the Tripura Water Grid proceeds as outlined, it could serve as a replicable model for other northeastern states facing similar groundwater quality challenges under the national water security framework.