Guwahati, Jan 19: Assam is on course to become a ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state by the year 2024.
According to an official statement, Vini Mahajan, secretary, department of drinking water and sanitation (DDWS), appreciated the progress made by the state in providing tap water supply to rural homes, an official statement said.
“Assam is well on track to achieve the target of providing clean tap water supply to every home by 2024 and the Centre is providing full assistance to the state to achieve the goal,” Mahajan said during a review of the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission on Wednesday.
Assam chief secretary Jishnu Barua and state finance secretary Samir Sinha were present during the online review meeting which was also attended by DDWS officials.
“Jal Jeevan Mission is a decentralised, demand-driven, community-managed water supply scheme which aims to improve the lives of rural people by providing clean tap water supply to every home. She appreciated the work carried out by the state in the past six months,” Mahajan said.
During the announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission on August 15, 2019, only 1.11 lakh (1.76 percent) households out of 63.35 lakh households in the state had access to tap water supply.
In about 28 months, 17.46 lakh households in Assam have been provided with clean tap water.
In the last six months alone, clean tap water supply has been provided to more than 8.5 lakh households.
The Assam chief secretary, while presenting the state’s performance said, “Considering the point from where we started with just one percent tap water coverage, we have made good progress. As the state started on a low base it took time to streamline the procedure for implementation of the programme. Now the remaining work will be carried out expeditiously.”
Speaking on the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission, Mahajan said, “While the districts have self-declared themselves Open Defecation Free, but this is not a one-time effort. Efforts under the programme are being made to bring about social and behaviour change for sustainability of the ODF status of villages at all times.”