HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Oct 26: The Jal Jeevan Mission, a transformative initiative launched
by the Indian government in August 2019, has reached a remarkable milestone,
with over 400,000 functional household tap connections in the state of
Meghalaya. From 4550 Functional Household Tap Connections on 15th August
2019 to 4,00,812 connections today, this accomplishment signifies a major leap
toward ensuring access to safe and sustainable drinking water for rural
households in the region.
Chief minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K Sangma, officially announced this
significant achievement, congratulating the team of Jal Jeevan Mission,
Meghalaya. The chief minister said, “Meghalaya crosses a remarkable 4 lakhs Jal
Jeevan Mission Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs). We congratulate
and render our best wishes to the Jal Jeevan Mission Meghalaya team, as we
continue to pursue our target of 100% FHTCs in our state.”
Commissioner & Secretary to the Public Health Engineering Department,
Government of Meghalaya, and Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission in the
state, Syed Md. A. Razi, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “This is a huge
milestone for the state. We will not rest on our laurels but continue to take
Meghalaya towards a water-secure future. Our endeavour is to have households
in the remotest areas with tap water connections, and we will continue until we
reach the last mile.”
The progress in Meghalaya showcases varying degrees of tap water supply to
households across different districts. East Garo Hills stands at 80.09%, South West
Garo Hills at 79.02%, Ri Bhoi at 72.83%, North Garo Hills at 69.35%, Eastern West
Khasi Hills at 67.56%, South Garo Hills at 65.56%, South West Khasi Hills at
65.15%, West Garo Hills at 59.82%, West Khasi Hills at 57.52%, West Jaintia Hills
at 50.29%, East Khasi Hills at 50.01%, and East Jaintia Hills at 44.50%.
In October 2022, Meghalaya was honoured with the second prize in the
functionality assessment of the Jal Jeevan Mission. This recognition underscores
the state’s unwavering commitment to the mission’s goals and objectives.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, a nationwide endeavour, aims to provide safe and
sustainable drinking water to rural households by 2024. In Meghalaya, out of
more than 600,000 households, approximately 400,000 households now enjoy
the benefits of tap water supply through this Scheme, representing a substantial
61% of the total number of households.
Meghalaya has made remarkable strides in ensuring clean and safe drinking water
for its citizens. Active community engagement has played a significant role in the
mission’s success, with Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)
established in nearly every village to ensure that all villagers have access to clean
water.
Meghalaya’s outstanding achievement in establishing tap water connectivity in
remote rural regions is commendable, given the various challenges that the
implementation team has had to overcome, including rugged terrain, isolated
households in distant villages, and other geographical factors. Meghalaya
government is determined to ensure that the Jal Jeevan Mission is completed well
before the Central Government’s deadline of March 2024.
