SHILLONG:
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has said that under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), 2.82 lakh households in Meghalaya have been provided with tap water connections as on January 13, 2023.
“As on January 13, 2023, 1,165 villages in Meghalaya have 100 per cent tap water connections. Furthermore, water and sanitation committees (VWSC) have been formed in nearly all the villages. 1165-gram panchayats and 1,165 villages have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in the State,” stated a release issued by PIB Shillong.
It said that 44.45 per cent households have tap water supply in the state, and the number has increased from just 4,550 households since the inception JJM in the state.
The release from PIB further revealed that JJM in Meghalaya has made significant strides in increasing access to safe and clean drinking water in the State. The mission’s focus on sustainable and community-led solutions has ensured that the benefits of the program are felt by all members of society, particularly the most marginalized.
According to the report, JJM has provided a definite roadmap to the State to provide clean, potable water to its citizens in their houses, so that the women and girls are unburdened from the chore of fetching clean water over long distances. Overall, the Jal Jeevan Mission is proving to be a vital step towards achieving the goal of water security for all citizens.
Water Testing Laboratories
With focus on public health, more than 2,000 water quality testing laboratories in the country have been opened to the general public so that they can get their water samples tested whenever they so desire at a nominal cost. As of December 2022, Meghalaya has 30 active water testing laboratories.
In the last eight years, the Government of India has launched numerous welfare schemes that have empowered women and made them lead India’s development journey. Walking long distances to fetch water for daily consumption has now become history as households across the county can get tap water connections in their homes under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Notably, the JJM is a flagship program launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019, which aims to provide all rural households with tap water supply in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality by 2024.
As on January 16, 2023, over 10.88 crore households have been provided tap water connections. Further, 125 districts, 1528 blocks, 82,354 panchayats, and 1,51,442 villages have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’.