E-Paper
2 crore households receive tap water supply in U.P., says Union Jal Shakti minister
Shekhawat, on Friday, said that the states deserve congratulations for swiftly moving towards their targets and overcoming challenges.
Lauding Uttar Pradesh’s efforts in providing tap water to rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasized the forthcoming challenge of project sustainability for states.
Inaugurating a two-day national conference on Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission, Shekhawat, on Friday, said that the states deserve congratulations for swiftly moving towards their targets and overcoming challenges.
He stressed the importance of quality implementation, procurement and water source sustainability alongside meeting central government targets. As operational costs rise, the project’s user charges aim to foster a sense of ownership among the populace, transitioning from engineer-led to community-driven initiatives.
With the launch of the project, the user charges for tap water supply were implemented to create a sense of ownership among the people, he said.
We are working to transform the country; we must awaken the masses by making them responsible for the schemes and projects launched by the government, he added.
“When the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched, there was a huge challenge before us, particularly in providing water to households in the water-scarce Bundelkhand region. With hard work, most households are now receiving water. In Uttar Pradesh, 2 crore households are receiving tap water supply. We are nearing saturation point, having reached the last households in villages,” Shekhawat further said.
The minister has also commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in driving the Swachh Bharat Mission, transforming it into the largest public movement since the Quit India movement in 1942.
State’s Jal Shakti minister, Swatantra Dev Singh, said that before 2017 the engineers and contractors were handling various development projects in the state which lived under terror. If they refused to follow the dictate of the criminal gangs they were kidnapped or killed, he accused.
Singh also highlighted improvements in governance and security under chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, leading to enhanced safety and development monitoring. Notably, Uttar Pradesh leads in providing tap water connections and has improved groundwater levels, contributing to reduced infant mortality rates nationwide.
“The development projects are regularly monitored, and strict action is taken against erring officers. The groundwater level in the Bundelkhand region has improved, and drinking water is supplied to rural households in 57 districts. Uttar Pradesh leads the country in providing the highest tap water connections,” he added.
Vini Mahajan, secretary of the ministry of drinking water and sanitation, said that the provision of clean water to every home reduces the infant mortality rate in the country by 25%.
