Chhattisgarh Witnessed Least Progress In Providing Tap Water For Rural Homes: Union Minister On Jal Jeevan Mission

Shekhawat said Chhattisgarh “has set a target to provide tap water connection to all rural households by 2023”.

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Raipur: Asserting Chhattisgarh has witnessed least progress in providing tap water connection to rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission that began in December 2019, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday said the state currently stands at the 30th position and is lagging behind due to “geographical and some technical reasons”.

Shekhawat said Chhattisgarh “has set a target to provide tap water connection to all rural households by 2023”.

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“Due to geographical and some technical reasons, sadly Chhattisgarh is lagging behind. It is among the states that has recorded least progress and stands at 30th position. Incidentally, when work started (in December, 2019), Chhattisgarh was in 23rd position in terms of water tap connection coverage,” PTI quoted Shekhawat as saying while addressing a press conference here.

The Union Minister said that he held a meeting with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel during the day to find out how this scheme can be provided momentum in the state.

Shekhawat said the Chhattisgarh government has said it has given administrative sanction to 40 percent of the target of the next two years and also issued Rs 1,000 crore.

He, however, added that work needed to be expedited.

The Union Jal Shakti Minister said there was 25 percent growth, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, in the national coverage under this scheme, which is aimed at providing clean and sufficient drinking water to all rural households in the country by 2024.

Shekhawat said there were 19 crore identified rural households in the country till December 25, 2019, when the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched, adding of them, 3.23 crore households, which accounts for around 16.9 percent, had access to tap water connection as per data shared by the states.

He further said a coronavirus-induced lockdown was imposed in March 2020, but the tap water connection coverage status rose from 16.9 percent to 41.2 percent in the last 18 to 19 months despite restrictions on this count.

The Union Minister informed that around 4.50 crore new tap water connections were installed.

Asserting some states have done good work, Shekhawat said Telangana, Goa and two Union Territories have achieved cent percent target.

“Some states have set targets to complete work under the mission by 2021, while some by 2022 and 2023. There are 74 districts and over 1,000 village panchayats in the country where all rural households have tap water connection,” he added.