E-Paper
Maharashtra among states with lowest piped water supply
As per the Centre’s letter to the state government dated November 12, 2021, as of November 9 this year, over 14,255 schools; 19,897 anganwadi centres; 144 ashramshalas (tribal residential schools); 2,938 gram panchayat buildings; and 8,893 rural health centres are yet to receive piped water supply
The department of drinking water and sanitation of the ministry of Jal Shakti of the central government has written to the state government, lamenting that despite 13 months into the campaign to provide piped water supply to all public institutions, Maharashtra, regrettably, has among the lowest water supply coverage. The letter comes after the central government’s announcement that since the launch of the campaign on October 2, 2020, 15 states and union territories have achieved 100% coverage of schools and anganwadi centres even as more than 14,000 schools and 19,000 anganwadi centres in Maharashtra are yet to receive piped water supply.
As per the Centre’s letter to the state government dated November 12, 2021, as of November 9 this year, over 14,255 schools; 19,897 anganwadi centres; 144 ashramshalas (tribal residential schools); 2,938 gram panchayat buildings; and 8,893 rural health centres are yet to receive piped water supply.
The letter from Arunkumar Kembhavi, deputy secretary, ministry of Jal Shakti, reads, “In the post Covid-19 pandemic scenario, the importance of safe drinking water and hand-washing practices especially for children does not need any further emphasis.”
However, the letter also draws attention to the under-reporting of these numbers by virtue of certain inconsistencies in the data reported. For instance, while 71,062 schools are reported to have been provided tap water connections; 72,522 schools are reported to have the provision of piped water for hand-washing.
The Centre has also set a deadline of November 20 for reporting to the Centre what action will be taken to ensure piped water supply connections to all public institutions. The Centre has directed the state to provide piped water supply to the remaining schools, anganwadi centres, ashramshalas and other public buildings on a war footing and report the same accurately.
