- Chhattisgarh sees historic improvement in drinking water system, with Jal Jeevan Mission providing tap water to over 32 lakh households
- Around 41.87 lakh household tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission,5,564 villages declared as ‘Har Ghar Jal Gram’
The effective and transparent implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Chhattisgarh has brought about a comprehensive and historic transformation in the drinking water system in rural areas. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Saw informed reporters during a press conference held today at the Samvad Auditorium in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar.
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Saw informed that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 40 lakh 87 thousand 27 domestic tap connections have been provided in the state so far, which has ensured the supply of pure drinking water through taps to 32 lakh houses. He informed that before the implementation of the mission, only 3 lakh 19 thousand 741 domestic tap connections were available in the state, whereas in the last two years of the current government’s tenure, this number has increased rapidly.
In the press conference, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Saw said that the clear objective of the State Government is to provide safe, pure and continuous drinking water to every rural family and to establish Chhattisgarh as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state soon.
Mr. Saw stated that currently, 6,572 villages have achieved 100% household tap connections. 5,564 villages have been declared “Har Ghar Jal Grams,” of which 4,544 have been duly certified. The number of Har Ghar Certified villages has increased by 750 percent over the past two years. Additionally, water supply systems have been transferred to 5,088 gram panchayats.
In a press conference, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that prior to the Jal Jeevan Mission, 308,287 hand pumps, 4440 tap water schemes, and 2132 spot water supply schemes were operating in rural areas. Currently, 70 group water supply schemes are underway, benefiting 3208 villages, and more than 985,000 household tap connections have been provided through these schemes.
Laying special emphasis on water quality, Mr. Saw informed that 77 water testing laboratories operate in the state, of which 47 are NABL accredited. For the convenience of the general public, a toll-free number, 1800-233-0008, is also being effectively operated for the quick resolution of drinking water-related problems.
Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Saw clarified that there is no compromise on quality under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Over the past two years, fines totaling more than 283.8 million rupees have been imposed for faulty work, 629 contracts have been canceled, and 11 firms have been blacklisted. Strict departmental and legal action has also been taken against erring officials and contractors.
Giving information about the upcoming action plan, he said that construction of remaining approximately 8 lakh household tap connections (FHTC), completion of more than 21 thousand incomplete schemes, transfer of more than 24 thousand schemes to Gram Panchayats and completion of all ongoing group water supply schemes within the stipulated time frame is the priority of the government.
Giving information on human resource strengthening, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in the last two years, 403 vacant posts have been created in the department, appointments have been made on 213 posts, 103 employees have been promoted and the benefit of time scale-pay scale has been provided to 877 government servants.