New Delhi, Oct 14 (UNI) More than 2.38 crore rural households across the country have been provided tap water connections till date since the launch of Jal Shakti Ministry’s Jal Jeevan Mission. As on date, more than 5.61 crore households now get assured safe tap water in their homes, i.e. almost 30 per cent of total rural households.
Jal Jeevan Mission, the flagship programme of the Centre, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 last year.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims at the universal coverage of provision of tap water connection to every rural home by 2024.
Jal Jeevan Mission is under implementation in partnership with States with the aim to provide drinking water to every rural household of the country by 2024. According to the latest official data of Ministry of Jal Shakti, total number of rural households in the country are 19,01,66,385.
The rural households with tap connections as on August 15, 2019 were 3,23,62,838 (17.02 per cent). The rural households with tap connections as on date are 5,61,85,224 (29.55 per cent). The rural households with tap connections from August 15, 2019 till October 14, 2020 is 2, 38, 22, 386.
Goa has earned itself the unique distinction of becoming first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State in the country as it successfully provides 100 per cent Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in the rural areas covering 2.30 lakh rural households.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, special focus is on women and children. Ensuring safe water to children is a priority, as they are the most vulnerable to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, etc.
Repeated infections due to consumption of unsafe water in their formative years may have adverse effects, resulting in stunting.
The situation is much more complex in areas where water sources are found to be contaminated with Arsenic, Fluoride, heavy metals, etc and prolonged consumption of water having these contaminants may lead to degenerating diseases resulting in serious health problems.
This mission holds the potential to tackle all these serious issues and all Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committee should participate in this mission to make it a grand success and provide a big boon to the masses in their respective regions, especially the most vulnerable sections of the society.
