Goa becomes first state to have ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in rural areas
Goa has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state in the country by providing 100 per cent functional household tap connections (FHTCs) in rural areas covering 2.30 lakh households as part of the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission that aims to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024.
Harnessing the immense benefits of efficiently utilising the JJM which aims to improve the quality of life and bring ‘ease-of-living’ to rural communities, Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant said that all rural homes in Goa now have a tap water supply.
In June 2020, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat wrote to Sawant expressing happiness on the state’s annual action plan to provide 100 per cent tap water connections in rural areas by 2021.
Two districts — North Goa with 1.65 lakh rural households and South Goa with 98,000 rural households in 191 gram panchayats — are fully saturated with assured piped water supply through tap connections.
To strengthen water testing facilities, the state is in process of getting 14 water quality testing laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
Jal Jeevan Mission mandates training five persons in every village, especially women, in using field test kits so that water can be tested there.
Goa’s achievement is an example for other states to emulate and ensure every rural home gets tap connection and especially in these times of CoVid-19 pandemic, it is all the more imperative to have assured safe water supply within households, said an official statement.
Having achieved the universal access, Goa now plans for sensor-based service delivery monitoring system so as to monitor the functionality of water supply, i.e. potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality being provided to every rural household on regular and long-term basis.
For 2020-21, fund allocation to Goa had been increased to Rs 12.40 crore. Also, the state could explore through convergence of various programmes like MGNREGS, SBM (G), 15th FC Grants to PRIs, District Mineral Development Fund, CAMPA, CSR Fund, Local Area Development Fund, etc for strengthening of drinking water sources, water supply, grey water treatment & re-use and operation & maintenance, the statement added.
