Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat lauds State’s ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’

Shimla : Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur today participated in a meeting through video conferencing with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Mahender Singh Thakur informed that the Union Minister reviewed the work being done under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ and appreciated the efforts of Himachal, which is a matter of pride for the State. He said that works under Jal Jeevan Mission are being done on priority basis in the State. Efforts are being made to make tap water available to every household in the State.He said that during the half-yearly review meeting, it has been targeted to provide functional household taps to 2,66,209 households during this financial year, so that those villages which have more than 70 percent coverage are provided with water supply in every household.During the current financial year, 100 percent working household taps have been made available in district Lahaul-Spiti and in 5,081 villages of the state.He said that a target has been set in this financial year to provide 100 percent functional household taps in district Una and Kinnaur. During the current financial year, 100 percent functional household taps have been made available at Kandaghat in district Solan, Pooh in district Kinnaur, Spiti and Lahaul development blocks in district Lahaul-Spiti.
He said that target has been fixed to provide 100 percent coverage for district Una and Kinnaur by December 2020, districts Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Solan by June 2021, district Mandi and Kangra by March 2022 and districts Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba and Kullu by July 2022.Jal Shakti Minister said that on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started a campaign on 2nd October to provide drinking water through pipes within 100 days to schools, Anganwadi and Ashramshala. He said that out of total 16,889 schools in the state, 16,478 schools have been provided drinking water facility and the work of ensuring drinking water supply to the remaining 411 schools is in progress. Out of total 18,925 Anganwadi centers in the state, 18,533 have been provided drinking water facilities.He said that 47 water testing laboratories have been set up by the department to ensure water quality in the state. So far, about 40 thousand tests have been conducted in these laboratories. To further strengthen the water quality laboratory system, construction of a state level laboratory has been started and 9 sub-divisional labs will be set up in far-reaching areas. The department has also provided drinking water facility at the highest place in Tashigung. This year all state level laboratories will be accredited by NABL. In order to ensure public community participation, Village Water Sanitation Committee has been formed in 2008 panchayats as per the guidelines of the Jal Jeevan Mission.