Clean tap water for all by 2024: Jacob

All rural and urban households in the State are targeted to be covered through functional household tap connection (FHTC)—- potable water supply by 2024 under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This was informed by Minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Jacob Zhimomi after a closed-door, three-hour review meeting of implementation of JJM and Swachh Bharat Mission (G) at Tourist Lodge here on Wednesday.
Briefing media persons on the implementation of JJM in the State, Jacob said JJM under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation aimed to provide drinking water supply to rural and urban households across the country through FHTC by 2024. He added that the Mission had been announced by Modi on the occasion of 73rd Independence Day in 2019.
Jacob informed that Wednesday’s meeting was held to discuss on how to achieve the target, as well as the challenges and requirements, in the State. He said, based on the requirements given by PHED engineers, a proposal would be sent to Jal Shakti for achieving the target by 2024, adding that urban FHTC would be dealt by Urban Development Department.
He mentioned that JJM was being implemented in Nagaland by PHED, while admitting that it was a huge challenge as the State was hilly. Although the challenges were huge, he however claimed that the department had been performing well by reaching 50.29% of targeted total household connection with piped water supply (PWS) till September 27, 2022 out of 60% targeted to be covered by December this year.
On the technical challenges faced on the ground in rural areas, the minister cited hurdles like telecommunication and transport bottlenecks as the department required to upload the geotagging. He also pointed out that only 60 percent of the population in the State had Aadhaar cards, while the remaining 40% were yet to obtain one, which deprived them from availing certain schemes and benefits.
The minister He also said that Nagaland has declared itself as Open Defecation Free (ODF) much before the national timeline.
He mentioned that sanitation in urban areas was handled by municipal councils, while in rural areas it was PHED’s responsibility.
Regarding 15thFinance Commission grant for water supply and sanitation, Jacob explained that the commission was under Rural Development (RD) Department and that RD had taken the responsibility to implement the tender given to it for sanitation and water supply.
He stated that RD Department was carrying out the work with an additional responsibility to oversee the physical work by PHED, which was also in touch with the former to ensure that this was properly done.
He remarked “We are having the additional package of RD Department and I would like to remind the RD Department that these are time-bound and mission-mode project.” He disclosed that fund was being released in tranches and not at one go, adding that it did not come to PHED.
PHED principal secretary Mhabemo Patton, who too was present, informed the media that the 15thFinance Commission grant had been awarded to Nagaland in different fields and one of them was water and sanitation, adding that the responsibility to implement was given to RD department and PHED was assisting and coordinating with the former.
He said it was PHED’s responsibility to provide water connection to around 33,000 households. And as far as the fund of JJM was concerned, he stated that the entire process was monitored by the Union Ministry, which provided fund.
The ministry monitored right from preparation of detailed project report (DPR) till the execution of the plan by sending teams to the State, he added.