Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has asked the State government officials to expedite the works to ensure drinking water supply to schools and Anganwadi centres through pipelines under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2.
The initiative is aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water supply to all households in rural India through individual tap connections by 2024.
Mr. Harichandan reviewed the implementation of the mission with Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney through video link on Monday.
“The initiative will have a positive impact on children’s health and holistic growth. Children are more prone to water-borne diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea, cholera and etc. All the schools and Anganwadi centres should be covered under the scheme and the works should be undertaken on a mission mode by involving all the departments concerned,” said Mr. Harichandan.
Target set
Mr. Nilam Sawhney said that of the 95,66,332 rural households in the State, only 33% had water tap connections and a target had been set to cover all the households by 2024. “Already 45% of the total 44,782 schools and 35% of the 55,607 Anganwadi centres in the State have water supply through pipelines under the Nadu Nedu scheme and the rest will have the facility by the end of December,” said Ms. Sawhney.
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Principal Secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, Education Principal Secretary B. Rajasekhar and Women Development and Child Welfare Principal Secretary A.R. Anuradha presented action plans concerning their departments. Secretary to Governor Mukesh Kumar Meena and others took part in the meeting.