Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government plans for 100 per cent saturation by 2024 of household tap water connection for providing Safe drinking water to the people.
This was presented in the Jal Jeevan Mission annual action plan on Tuesday charting the State Government’s plan of action for the financial year 2021-22 as well as the saturation plan for the State.
Notably, more than 27 per cent of the rural households in State are receiving drinking water through tap, which was 3.63 Percent during 2019.
Odisha has 85.66 lakh rural households out of which tap connections have been provided to 23.25 lakh households.
When Jal Jeevan Mission started on August 15, 2019, only 3.63 per cent of the people in State had access to tap water. In the past one-and-a-half year, the Jal Jeevan Mission has ensured 20.15 lakh rural homes get safe drinking water through tap connections and every household in 2,996 villages are getting safe drinking water.
Notably, the State Government has declared 57 of its Panchayats as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ ones meaning that all the households in these Panchayats have been provided with piped water connection.
In 2021-22, State plans to provide piped water supply in 29,749 schools and 43,727 Anganwadi Centre thereby ensuring 100 per cent tap water connection in all the schools, ashram schools and Anganwadi centre for drinking, cooking mid-day meal, hand washing and use in toilets.
The State has set 2023-24 target for providing 100 per cent functional household tap water connection in every rural household.
So far, the State has heavily invested in training. Self Help Group members were trained to conduct water quality surveillance- sanitary inspections of 4.64 lakh drinking water sources across the State.
It is an important surveillance mechanism to test the water source and end point. Field testing kits are being provided at Panchayat level and handed over to the sub-committee constituted for carrying out frequent tests especially during pre and post monsoon for testing water quality for taking corrective measures.
In summers, issue pertaining to water quality and scarcity comes to forefront in Odisha State. The national committee suggested to focus on testing and treating contaminated water.
During the COVid-19 pandemic situation, efforts to provide household tap connections in rural areas will definitely improve the ease of living especially of women and girls by reducing their drudgery and making them safe and leading a dignified life.
Annual Action Plan of State review is taken up under Jal Jeevan Mission by a committee chaired by Secretary, DDWS and with members from different Central Ministries and NITI Aayog to do a rigorous scrutiny of the proposed Annual Action Plan (AAP) prepared by States/ UTs before finalizing the same.
The review committee analyzed and advised on the Annual Action Plan and advised the State to identify sources of convergence & invest in sensor-based IoT technology for real-time monitoring and measurement of water supply.
Further, the committee emphasized on well-placed Information, Education & Communication (IEC) strategies to instill behavioral change amongst public.
In 2021-22, in addition to Rs. 50,011 Crore budgetary allocation for JJM, there is also Rs. 26,940 crore assured fund available under the 15th Finance Commission tied-grants to RLB/ PRIs for water & sanitation, matching State share and externally aided as well as State funded projects.
Thus, in 2021-22, more than Rs. 1 lakh crore is planned to be invested in the country on ensuring tap water supply to rural homes.