100% Rural Households In This State Will Get Drinking Water From Taps: Har Ghar Jal Mission Achieved!

Goa and tourism are often the words that are used in the same sentence. Goa is known for its nightlife and beaches and shacks.

The growth of the state is driven by its industrial sectors such as fishing, agriculture, tourism, pharmaceuticals, iron, and steel industries as well as mining and shipbuilding.

Goa : First State to be “Har Ghar Jal” Certified

But this time around, Goa is in the news as it has become the first state to get certified under ‘Har Ghar Jal’ with 100% coverage. The aim is 2024 polls and hence the national scheme of government to provide potable water supply to every rural household has picked up pace. 

Over the period of past three years and at a cost of Rs 200 crore, all the 2.63 lakh households in both districts of the state have now been provided potable tap water connections.

Speaking of the other union territories, with an expenditure of nearly Rs 512 crore over the past three years, 85,156 rural households of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have led as well as the completed certification with potable tap water connectivity

In the next few days, the center is also inching close to the mark of 10 crore households.

Overall “Har Ghar Jal” Mission Status

This mission, which dates to 2019, has a deadline in 2024. The scheme, after a delay has till now achieved a coverage of 52% coverage. 

When it comes to the metered water connections, Goa is a state of 100%.

Now does that mean no other states are yet to get the 100% coverage. The answer is no.

States like Haryana, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Puducherry are said to have achieved 100% coverage. However the catch is that they are yet to be certified. 

Other states like Punjab (99.9%), Gujarat (97%), Bihar (95.49%), Himachal Pradesh (94.85%) are also inching closer to the target.

However, the work is yet to gain momentum in 13 big states, including Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 95% of the residual work.

In order to push states to award contracts for all pending works, the centre has set a time line of September 30 as the deadline.

Once the target has been achieved by the village, the gram panchayats have been asked to validate and pass a resolution as the department wants to make the entire process transparent.

Going a step ahead, the gram sabha meetings also need to be video graphed and uploaded on the department portal. It is there that these will be certified.

There are almost 1.5 lakh villages which have reported 100% coverage and are waiting to get certified.

Vikas Sheel, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, 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,” he added.