GAIBANDHA. Dec 31: A programme for supplying pure drinking water in 10 northern districts has been taken Jointly by Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) during this current fiscal year.

The districts are Pancha-garh. Thakurgaon. Dinajpur, Kurigram. Lalmonirhat. Nil-phairiari. Rangpur. Gaibandha. Bogra and Jaipurhat. The programme was chalked out to ensure supplying pure drinking water in the northern districts by the years 2000.

Under this programme one lakh 50 thousand hand-operated tube-wells and Tara pumps have already been installed in different areas. A total 29 lakh families are getting pure drinking water. According to PHED about 97 per cent families could be put under pure drinking water facilities scheme.