Centre hails Haryana’s fast-paced implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 4

The Centre has hailed Haryana Government's fast-paced implementation of its flagship programme of providing piped potable water connections to every rural household under the Jal Jeevan Mission, but leaned on it nonetheless to keep the momentum going.

Following his letter to Haryana Chief Minister, a few days ago, for speedy completion of works under the JJM, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat pressed the issue yet again during a video-conference with ML Khattar on Friday.

The video-conferencing was on a range of water related issues and sanitation, besides implementation of the JJM.

Shekhawat suggested to the state government to constitute village water and sanitation committee of Gram Panchayat (in each village) with a minimum 50 per cent of women members on it.

The proposed committee will be tasked with responsibility for planning, designing, implementing and operating and maintaining of in-village water supply systems. 

Also, Shekhawat stressed that all villages have to prepare Village Action Plan (VAP) which essentially will comprise of development/ augmentation of drinking water sources, water supply systems, grey-water re-use and operation and maintenance component.  

Appreciating the initiatives of Haryana in grey water management through the waste stabilisation ponds popularly known as "five-pond system", Shekhawat  urged to adopt similar approach for managing household waste water and domestic waste for every village, so that the state emerges as a role model in creating such ‘Swachh Gaon’.

Khattar assured that all households of the state would be provided with tap connections by 2022.

Sources said during the discussion with Shekhawat, Khattar asserted that Haryana would be among the leading states to accomplish the ambitious target of providing tap connection to every rural household, ahead of the national deadline of 2024.

Out of 28.94 lakh rural households in Haryana, 18.83 lakh (59.36%) households have already been provided with Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).

Out of the remaining 10.11 lakh households, seven lakh households will be covered during 2020-21.

The JJM is centrally sponsored programme. The state concerned makes a matching contribution to the fund provided by the Centre. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 last year, it aims to provide piped water connection to every rural household in the country by 2024.