NEW DELHI: Jal Jeevan Mission is a flagship program of the central government, aiming to provide all rural households potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis. Union Government and State Governments are working hand in hand to accomplish this ambitious goal of provision of assured potable water in rural homes.
A team of 6 members from the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) is visiting Andhra Pradesh during 2 to 5th December, 2020 to provide technical assistance to the state to realize the goal of ‘Har Ghar Jal’ under the flagship programme, Jal Jeevan Mission as well as identify different issues and challenges and to document good practices.
The team is visiting different parts of the State and interacting with field-level officials involved with the implementation of water supply schemes as well as Gram Pradhans and members of Gram Panchayats. The team is also holding meetings with the Chairperson of District Water& Sanitation Mission/District Collector to brief them about the progress and seek their intervention for speedy implementation of the programme.
Government of Andhra Pradesh has planned to provide functional tap water (FHTC) to all rural households of the State by 2023-24. Out of 95.66 lakh rural households in the State, till now 34.94 lakh households have been provided with tap water connections and plans are afoot to cover the remaining houses.
The 6-member team covered 9 districts viz. Vishakhapatnam, Krishna, Chittoor, Srikakulam, Vizianagram, West Godavari, Kadapa, Anantpurand Kurnool. Different villages habitations were selected randomly to see the progress of the mission works. The team visited Kothavalasa block of Vizianagaram district where the discussions were held with people and VWSC comprising of five women members.
In Palletummalapalem village, tap water connections were provided during the 100-daycampaign at Panchayat Bhawan and schools in Krishna district. In the village, there is an overhead tank with sump and slow sand filter arrangement to supply water.
The team also visited Raghavampalli village, Mustur Gram Panchayat in Anatpur district. The village has 282 households, out of which 149 households have functional household tap connection. Similarly, households in Mopidevi village in Krishna district are getting assured water supply. Vaddemanu village in Nandikotur block of Kurnool district has 100% tap water connections. Household tap water connections were provided in the village even inhabitation which had hard rock.
A silent revolution is happening in these villages, where government’s vision of providing basic amenities, thereby improving the lives of people, and enhancing ease of living is getting fulfilled as well as realizing the aspirations of the people.