Itanagar: The Tawang and East Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh have successfully achieved a significant milestone by ensuring 100% tap drinking water connections to every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
JJM is a centrally sponsored scheme which aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households in rural India by 2024.
The Tawang division of the Public Health Engineering and Water Supply department (PHED) celebrated the successful implementation of the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ initiative on Thursday by organizing a celebratory programme at the Zomkhang Hall in Tawang.
The district attained the official target on January 15.
During the event, recognition was extended to the implementing support agency, including all three units of the Women’s Welfare Association of Tawang, Jang and Lungla, three village water sanitation committees (VWSC), women trained in field testing kits and top-performing field workers.
Awards in the form of trophies and cash were presented by deputy commissioner Kanki Darang and other senior officials.
Addressing the audience, the DC emphasized the vital role of water for all living beings and praised the collective efforts that led to the successful completion of the mission.
He underscored the importance of responsible water usage despite the abundance of water sources in the region. Furthermore, he highlighted the need for ongoing training initiatives, particularly encouraging youth trained in plumbing and fitting under skill development programs to contribute to village self-sustainability in water infrastructure and other essential services.
In his keynote address, PHED executive engineer, Gepiam Mize, outlined the challenges faced by the department in achieving this milestone.
He expressed gratitude to the various committees, implementing agencies, and his own staff for their unwavering support throughout the endeavor.
Members of the implementing support agency and VWSC shared their experiences and expressed gratitude to both the union and state governments for their support in providing safe drinking water to every household.
Additionally, a video presentation on catchment area protection was showcased during the programme, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation in maintaining a sustainable water supply.
The East Siang district has also achieved a similar milestone which was announced by deputy commissioner Tayi Taggu during an event, organized by the PHED at the College of Horticulture and Forestry in Pasighat.
Addressing the gathering, DC Taggu highlighted JJM’s aim to ensure safe and adequate drinking water access for every household in the country by 2024.
Congratulating the JJM team and the people of East Siang district for achieving the “Har Ghar Jal” certification, Taggu attributed this success to the collaborative efforts of local leadership, residents, and mission teams, along with the support of the state government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
Taggu emphasized the importance of responsible maintenance and protection of government-provided water assets.
He stressed the significance of conserving natural waterways in catchment areas to safeguard drinking water quality and underscored the role of effective land management in this regard.
During the ceremony, awards were presented to the top three village water and sanitation committees, the three best-trained women in FTK handling, and the three outstanding field staff members.
Detailed achievements were shared through a PowerPoint presentation by PHED executive engineer Oling Talo and assistant engineer Eleena Gao.
Arunachal’s West Siang district also had achieved the feat recently.
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