Engineering and construction major Punj Lloyd today said it has won the country's largest solar- based contract worth Rs 232 crore for installing water treatment plants in Bihar from the state government.

The EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract for 850 solar-powered water treatment plants for removal of arsenic and fluoride across multiple districts in Bihar will be implemented on a turnkey basis, a company statement said.

"The combined solar power generation of these plants will be greater than 1.3 MW. With the government's commitment to the National Solar Mission, this project provides the foundation to establish Punj Lloyd as a leading solar company in this space," it said.

The plants will resolve the severe groundwater contamination, resulting in many types of diseases including skin and lung cancer, it added.

The scope of work of the project awarded by Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Bihar, includes design, construction and commissioning of solar-powered water treatment plants across the state, the statement further said.

The contract will be executed by Punj Lloyd Group's renewable energy arm, Punj Lloyd Delta Renewables.

"This, being the first mega project of this scale for solar water treatment in the country, is a major breakthrough for the company.

This project will help improve socio-economic problems in the villages by providing a clean water drinking supply across these districts," Punj Lloyd Delta Renewables Chief Executive Officer Tariq Alam said.

The company is already providing solar lighting for the Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi.

With this contract, the order backlog for the Punj Lloyd Group on consolidated basis has gone up to Rs 26,205 crore.