India’s most trusted tap water for drinking: Why Anand Mahindra praises this Odisha city

For most Indians, drinking water directly from the tap is almost unthinkable. Bottled water, home purifiers, and boiling water have become part of daily life, driven by concerns over contamination and water quality. 

That is why industrialist Anand Mahindra says the transformation of Odisha’s temple town of Puri stands out as one of the most remarkable examples of public service delivery in recent years. 

In a post on X (formally twitter), the Mahindra Group chairman highlighted what he called one of India’s great contradictions: a country that reveres its rivers but often does not trust the water flowing into its homes. 

“One of the great ironies of India is that we worship our rivers, yet rarely trust the water that flows into our homes,” Mahindra wrote. 

He said Puri’s achievement fascinated him because it is reportedly the only Indian city where residents and visitors can drink water straight from the tap without boiling, filtering, or relying on packaged drinking water. 

City that changed thinking about tap water 

Puri became the first city in India to implement a city-wide drink-from-tap water system under Odisha’s ambitious urban water management programme. 

The initiative aims to deliver high-quality drinking water directly to households around the clock, meeting standards that eliminate the need for additional purification at the consumer end. 

For a country where access to safe drinking water remains a challenge in many regions, the project has been widely cited as a model for urban water governance. 

According to Mahindra, what makes the achievement even more significant is the speed at which it was accomplished. 

“An entire city where people can apparently drink straight from the tap. And this change didn’t take decades. It happened over just a few years because political leadership, administrative execution and community participation all moved in sync,” he said. 

Women behind the transformation 

A key pillar of the programme has been the involvement of local women known as “Jal Sathis”. 

These women have played a crucial role in monitoring water quality, conducting community outreach, spreading awareness, and building confidence among residents about the safety of tap water. 

Mahindra specifically praised their contribution, describing them as guardians of the city’s water quality. 

“A key part of the story is the role played by the ‘Jal Sathis’ — local women who became guardians of the city’s water quality and helped build public trust in the system,” he noted. 

Their involvement has been seen as a powerful example of community-led governance, ensuring that infrastructure improvements are matched by public participation and accountability. 

More than a water project 

Beyond supplying clean drinking water, Puri’s model is viewed as an example of how coordinated governance can improve everyday quality of life. 

The project brought together political leadership, administrative planning, technological upgrades, and community engagement — elements that are often cited as essential but difficult to align in large public programmes. 

For residents, the benefits extend beyond convenience. Reliable access to safe drinking water reduces dependence on bottled water, lowers household costs, and can contribute to better public health outcomes. 

Mahindra described the Puri story as his “Monday Motivation,” saying it demonstrates what can be achieved when citizens and governments work together toward a common goal. 

His remarks have renewed attention on whether similar drink-from-tap systems can be replicated in other Indian cities, where concerns about water quality continue to drive demand for filters, purifiers, and packaged water.