Ganjam, Aug. 10 -- Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday inaugurated Odisha's first desalination plant in Ganjam, a project that aims to supply clean drinking water to nearby areas using indigenous technology.

Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Pradhan said, "The Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), where an indigenous technology was developed by the Atomic Energy Research Centre, has been used to create a membrane that purifies seawater into potable water. PM Modi launched the project last year. The cost of converting seawater into potable water or water for agricultural purposes would be 11 paisa/litre."

He also attended an event, "Garib Kalyan Vikash Samabesh".

Speaking to ANI after the event, he highlighted the economic significan...