The Tripura government has planned to provide 100 per cent tap water connections in all households by 2023. The state has around 8.01 lakh households, out of which 1.16 lakh (14%) households have tap water connections today, the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Thursday.
Tripura, in its presentation of mid-term progress to the National Jal Jeevan Mission on Thursday, as a part of the mid-year review through video conferencing, stated that the state today has water supply schemes in all 1,178 villages
The state's target for 2020-21 is to provide 3.20 lakh tap water connections, and 44,000 connections have been provided so far, according to the state’s progress report presented.
The state is all set to provide 50,000 tap connections per month starting November and thus, about 1,500 tap connections per day. The state also plans to achieve 277 'HarGhar Jal' villages and 12 'HarGhar Jal' blocks in 2020-21, the ministry added.
The state has constituted Village Water & Sanitation committees in all its 1,178 villages.
A total of 250 villages have completed their Village Action Plans for implementation of mission works which inter alia includes source strengthening, water supply infrastructure, grey water management and operation and maintenance.
Emphasis is given on engaging voluntary organizations, NGOs, women SHGs as implementation support agencies (ISAs) to handhold the local community for planning, implementation and operation and maintenance of water supply systems.
State was asked to organize training for capacity building of Gram Panchayat functionaries as well as other stakeholders and also to focus on skill development training in villages to create a pool of trained human resources at village level, which will be very helpful in implementation as well O&M of water supply systems. The State was advised to carry out the mandatory chemical testing and bacteriological testing of drinking water sources.
Tripura is also sensitizing concerned departments to provide piped water supply to every anganwadi centre, school and ashramshala (tribal residential school) as per the mandate of the 100-day campaign launched on October 2, 2020.
The ministry stated that in 2020-21, Tripura had an opening balance of Rs 136.46 crore and has been allocated Rs 156.61 crore for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission. Rs 17.74 crore was released in 2020-21, thus the state has a total available fund of Rs 154.20 crore. To avail the second tranche of the first release, the state has to expedite their fund utilization.
Tripura has also been allocated Rs 38 crore under the 15th Finance Commission Grants to rural local bodies and 50 per cent of it is to be used for water supply and sanitation i.e. water supply, grey-water treatment and re-use and most importantly for ensuring long-term operation and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti is assessing the progress made by all the states and Union territories to achieve the goal of universal coverage under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the flagship programme of the Union government, which aims to provide tap water connection to every rural household of the country by 2024.
