Ranchi: As many as 11,82,692 rural households across Jharkhand have been equipped with tap water supply till now under Jal Jeevan Mission for safe drinking water in the past two and half years, said an officer of the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED).
This is around 20% of the target to connect 59,23,320 households across the state with tap water supply by the end of 2024 under the Mission. The progress in the scheme got slowed down a bit due to outbreak of Covid19 pandemic.
Of the 29,657 villages in the state, 965 have become Har Ghar Jal village, and work is in progress in 12,083 villages, while plans have been either approved or DPRs have been prepared for the remaining 16,708 villages in the near future.
Under the mission, the department is ensuring that provisions of groundwater management, water conservation, rain water harvesting are adhered to so that waste water could be reused.
3-fold rise in tap water connection
There has been a three-fold increase in providing tap water supply to homes of those in need after 2019. Prior to the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission, only 3,45,165 households had tap water supply in the state, as compared to 11,83,632 by May 25, 2022.
The total tap connections which were provided after the launch of the Mission are 8,38,467. Under this Mission the maximum number of connections were given in Bokaro, where 89,901 household got access to safe potable water supply. It was followed by Dhanbad (66,669 households) and East Singhbhum (56,702 households).
Water tap connections have been set up in 41,408 Government schools, 7,450 Schools and 1,758 Anganwadi centers of the state. The Jeevan Mission is based on a community approach to water and incorporates comprehensive information, education and communication as a key component of the Mission. The State Government aspires to make the Jal Jeevan Mission a mass movement, so that it becomes everyone’s priority.
