ITANAGAR, 17 Jul: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday reiterated that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) will be fully implemented in the state in 2023 – a year ahead of the national target of 2024.
Giving away awards to various Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSC), implementation support agencies (ISA), block resource coordinators (BRC), lab assistants and kal sathis during a meeting on JJM and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBM) here, Khandu lauded the public health engineering & water supply (PHE&WS) department, the nodal agency implementing the JJM and the SBM in the state, for the progress it has made so far.
He especially thanked the VWSCs, ISAs, BRCs, lab technicians and jal sathis working at the village level for successfully implementing the JJM.
“The recognition you have earned in the shape of these awards will inspire others to work dedicatedly at all levels and make the dream of ‘har ghar jal’ a success,” he said.
Stating that the JJM is aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India, the CM said: “The mission includes source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting, etc, based on a community approach to water.”
He gave assurance that his government would provide full support in covering the left-out villages under the JJM “within this year.”
On being informed that a few health centres, schools and anganwadi centres are yet to be covered under the programme, he directed the PHE&WS officials to convene a meeting with the planning, the health and the education departments “as early as possible, and chalk out a way forward for saturation of JJM.”
The CM suggested to the department to “concentrate on villages by encouraging and providing for the VWSCs, ISAs, BRCs and jal sathis,” and added that “encouragement through awards and recognitions will hugely boost the morale of the foot soldiers working at the grassroots level.”
“Successful implementation of JJM and SBM depends solely on these village-level agencies and agents,” he said.
Several key issues were discussed during the review meeting, including physical and financial achievements, additional support required from the state government, left-out schools and anganwadi centres, etc.
As part of the meeting, Khandu along with Rural Development Minister Bamang Felix, PHE&WS Minister Wangki Lowang and PHE&WS adviser Lokam Tassar released a handbook on operation and maintenance of in-village water supply system by the communities.
A video on the Arunachal Pradesh Protection of Drinking Water Catchment Areas Act was also launched by the CM.
Award winners: VWSC, Ozakho; VWSC, Silli, Likabali; VWSC, Kugi Pomte, Aalo; Patkai Hills Welfare Society, Khonsa; Veikhi ISA, Bomdila; Bomi Ane ISA, Bizari; Ngoglin Ngongwa, Khonsa division; Sanjay Mishra, Bomdila division; Pasak Ratan, Longding division; Devraj Sharma, Yingkiong division; Hangren Ngotan, Changlang division; Takiat Tatin, Pangin division; Tadu Pujen, Mechuka division; Ling Burang, Yingkiong division; and Chukhu Sheela, Yupia division. (CM’s PR Cell)