The Centre gave 4.87 crore tap water connections in 23 months as compared to 3.23 crore connections in 70 years after Independence, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Thursday.

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday said that the Centre has provided 4.87 crore new tap water connections in 23 months as compared to 3.23 crore connections in 70 years after Independence.

“Despite Covid-19 pandemic and disruptions, the Centre has provided 4.87 crore new tap water connections in the last 22-23 months compared to 3.23 crore connections in 70 years after Independence,” Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

Chairing a one-day conference of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Ministers of North-Eastern States on Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Guwahati, the union minister said that the mission will help to improve the quality of life and enhance the ease of living of crores of people in the northeastern region.

“With the Union government’s undivided focus on the development of the northeastern region of the country, this year Rs 9800 crore has been allocated as central grant for NE states under the Jal Jeevan Mission. This enhanced allocation to provide tap water connections to households in NE states is expected to boost the development of the region," Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

He further added that this mission is not only a programme to provide connections, as the primary aim of it is functionality and regular operation and maintenance to achieve assured water supply with quality, quantity and regularity.

On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for ensuring availability of potable drinking water in every rural household and public institutions through the mission is a big opportunity for the north eastern states and it would significantly help in addressing health-related issues in the region.

“The state has made significant progress in the implementation of the Mission in the last three months and since August more than 6700 families have been provided tap water connections every day. To minimize delays and expedite work in the implementation of the mission, deputy commissioners have been empowered to allot works to contractors, complete works and release payments at district level," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The state government has been aggressively working to provide tap water connections to every household in 800 tea gardens in the state, apart from providing connections to anganwadi centres and educational institutions on a priority basis.

The chief minister added that though the target has been set to cover 100 per cent rural households and public institutions under the Mission within 2024, the state would be able to achieve the target ahead of the scheduled period.