Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday applauded the Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) government for providing access to clean drinking water in many parts of Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions through tap water in each household (‘Har Ghar Jal’) scheme, as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath too tweeted the reference made by the PM.

While inaugurating the Bundelkhand Expressway in Jalaun, Modi said this Jal Jeevan Mission had played an important role in accelerating the pace of development in the state.

He also listed various dam projects and spoke of efforts being made to ensure that river water helped most people.

“Our government is working continuously to provide piped water to every household in Bundelkhand. Under this mission, water connections have been given to lakhs of families of the region and my mothers and sisters have benefited immensely from this,” Modi said.

BJP leaders said that the Jal Shakti ministry was trying to ensure that by 2024 (the time when Lok Sabha elections are due) piped water reached the unreached.

“We are constantly trying to make the river water reach as many people as possible in Bundelkhand and Ratoli dam project, Bhavani dam project and Mazgaon Jilli sprinkler irrigation project are result of such efforts,” the PM said, adding that a huge sum of money had been sanctioned for the Ken-Betwa link project.

“These projects are going to change the life of a large part of Bundelkhand,” he said.

Modi also spoke of the plan to develop Amrit Sarovars across the country and said that in Bundelkhand too, these would be built.

“As many as 75 Amrit Sarovars will be built in every district of Bundelkhand. A lot of work is being done for the coming generations for water security,” he added.

He said irrigation facilities left incomplete for decades were being completed now.

“Many small and big dams are being built, so that the lives of the poor and the farmers become easy,” he added.