TC Web Desk
Goa has become the first state in the country to provide 100 per cent tap water connections in rural areas, covering 2,63,013 households, the Jal Shakti Ministry announced on Wednesday.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, “Goa becomes the first State to achieve 100% ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certification under the Jal Jeevan Mission of Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.”
After Goa, several Union Territories (UTs), including Daman and Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, have also completed the 100 per cent coverage by providing tap water connections to over 85 thousand households in rural areas at the cost of nearly 510 crores invested in last three years.
The Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission, Vikas Sheel, said, “It is important for more districts to come forward and complete the certification process so they can get the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ distinction. We are encouraging state administration to come forward and get districts certified, hand holding them through the entire process,”
Several states and union territories including Andaman and Nicobar, Pondicherry, Telangana and Haryana have also reported 100% coverage but are yet to be certified. States like Bihar, Punjab and Gujarat have also come close to the target. However, some big states, including Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 95 per cent of residual work, are yet to get the momentum to achieve the target.
To make it more transparent, the Center required gram panchayats to validate the work once it reaches the target village. Video recording of Gram Sabha meetings will also be done and uploaded on the departmental portal for authentication by the officials. Through the process, the entire system would become transparent, and the certification would go to only verified places.
