<span style="color: #222222;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for several rural water projects in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''The projects at the estimated cost of over Rs. 5,500 crore include, nine water treatment projects for Mirzapur district and 14  projects for Sonbhadra district.  <br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister said, the drinking water projects in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra district will not only provide clean water to the people but will also be helpful in eradicating several diseases.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister lamented that despite having a lot of resources, Vindhyachal or Bundelkhand regions became regions of deficiencies.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''He said, this region was neglected for decades after independence which forced many people to migrate from the region.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''The projects are planned to be completed in 24 months.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''The Prime Minister added that self-reliant India gets strength from self-reliant villages.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''During the last one and half years from the start of Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 2 crore 60 lakh families have been provided piped drinking water connection to their homes including lakhs of families in Uttar Pradesh as well.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister urged the people to remain against Corona as the danger still lingers and asked the people to maintain basic precautions with great sincerity.</span>