By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 5: Opposition TMC MLA Rupa Marak on Wednesday urged the state government to expedite the process of connecting the remaining households under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) project.
Raising the issue during Question Hour of the Assembly, Marak pointed out that in Modelgre village, under his constituency, not all households have been connected to tap water under JJM, despite claims that the project has been completed in the area.
In response, PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak said that the village falls under the Daddengre water supply scheme, adding that out of 103 households, 88 have been provided with functional household tap connections, while the remaining 15 are newly established homes that have come up over time.
The minister clarified that the project was not delayed but completed. However, a new scheme has been prepared to cover the 15 households that were left out.
In a supplementary question, Rupa Marak asked about the location of the water tank under the JJM scheme. He pointed out that the existing tank in Daddengre was actually constructed by the PHE department long ago and that no new water tank had been built under JJM.
The minister explained that this project is categorised as an augmentation initiative, meaning it focuses on extending water connections to households that were previously unconnected. He added that augmentation projects are designed to utilise and enhance existing infrastructure rather than create entirely new systems.
Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma, in another supplementary question, concurred with the minister’s explanation. He stated that since this is an augmentation project, the existing infrastructure would be leveraged — which is the case for many such schemes. He also inquired about the various components of work under JJM, to which the minister tabled the official reply.
