The elixir of affluence Recipient's Name Send A recent development involving the provision of drinking water via taps in the temple town of Puri in Odisha has turned into a conversation starter on Indiaâs standards of water sufficiency. Representative image Chennai: It was earlier this week that the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government declared Puri as the first city in India to boast of city-wide safe drinking tap water. The state administration is now planning to roll out this facility in 16 more towns which include Cuttack, Rourkela, and Berhampur, and is expected to benefit 40 lakh people. All urban areas of the state are set to be provided with the âdrink from tapâ water facility by March 2022, making it the first state in India to do so.