Bhopal
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Madhya Pradesh has achieved many unprecedented achievements in the field of drinking water supply and sanitation in the last 9 months. Comprehensive efforts are being made to realize the dreams of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Jal Jeevan Mission. Under the constant supervision of Public Health Engineering Minister Smt. Sampatiya Uikey, the department has successfully implemented many schemes, as a result of which tap water has been made available to lakhs of families in the state.
Major Achievements
In the last 9 months, more than 6 lakh families in the state have been provided with tap water, thereby taking rapid steps towards the goal of “Har Ghar Jal”. The villages of Madhya Pradesh where the work has been completed have been declared as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ villages, which has proved to be a milestone in rural water supply. ₹7,364.98 crore rupees were spent under Jal Jeevan Mission. This has strengthened the tap water projects. In the last nine months, financial authenticity of all the water schemes of the state has been completed, which is ensuring transparency and efficiency in the projects. Geo-tagging of all the water sources of the state has been completed, while 95% of the scheme information boards have also been geo-tagged. This process is an important step for monitoring and transparency of the schemes.
Safety Act has been passed in the state to prevent accidents from open tube-wells, which has reduced such accidents drastically. Field test kits have been made available in all the villages of the state for testing water quality, and 5 villagers in each village have been trained for water quality testing. Madhya Pradesh was the first state in the country to get NABL certification for all district level water testing laboratories, which is an important step in water testing and quality assurance. Madhya Pradesh has secured second position in the country in the “Swachh Jal Se Suraksha Abhiyan” run by the Government of India, which reflects the commitment and efforts of the state. The quality of drinking water sources in the state has been tested on 97% chemical and 90% bacteriological parameters, which has ensured safe water supply. Work has been started for tap water supply in 432 settlements of Particularly Backward Tribal Groups (PVTG), and tap water has been provided to more than 50% of the families.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi and guidance of Chief Minister Dr. Yadav, the Public Health Engineering Department is making continuous progress and is rapidly moving towards achieving the goal of “Har Ghar Jal”. With these successful efforts, Madhya Pradesh is setting an example across the country not only in water supply but also in the field of water conservation and sanitation.
Unprecedented improvement in rural development and health
The positive results of the ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’ scheme under Jal Jeevan Mission are now clearly visible. Safe drinking water has been delivered to lakhs of families in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. With the successful implementation of this scheme, many positive changes are taking place in the social, economic and health sectors of the state.
Improved health
The supply of clean and safe drinking water through taps has led to a huge reduction in waterborne diseases in rural areas. Diseases caused by contaminated water such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid are seeing a decline, improving the health of villagers.
Improving the lives of women
With assured water supply, women do not have to travel long distances for water, thus saving time and energy. They are now able to spend this time and energy on their education, family and other economic activities, thus improving their quality of life.
Cleanliness and self-esteem
Easy availability of water has also promoted rural sanitation. Uninterrupted supply of water to toilets and homes has increased hygiene and personal self-esteem in rural areas. Apart from this, availability of clean water under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme has increased the sense of self-esteem among the villagers.
Improvement in girl child education
Availability of water also gives girls more time and opportunity to go to school, as they do not need to leave school to fetch water. Thus, the girl child literacy rate has increased and their future prospects have improved.
Community Integration and Development
The facility of tap water has strengthened the spirit of community unity and cooperation in the villages. People are collectively supporting it, understanding the importance of water quality testing and water conservation. The formation of water committees and their training has created an environment of prosperity and development in the villages.
Financial savings and prosperity
The availability of water at homes has reduced the cost of water transportation and storage. Rural families are now able to spend this savings on other important needs, which is improving their economic condition. These initial positive results of the Har Ghar Nal Se Jal Yojana show that this scheme is not only improving the lifestyle of rural families, but is also proving to be a milestone in the entire development journey of the state. The objective of the government is to provide tap water facility to every family in a timely manner.
