Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Wokha division has refuted allegations made by the Lotha Hoho that JJM & SBM programmes have been a complete failure under Wokha district.
In a rejoinder, executive engineer PHED Wokha division Imnazulu Ao clarified that as of May 2023, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), 39 villages were completed, certified fully functional and successfully handed over to respective WATSAN Committees.
The PHED Wokha division also stated that all necessary payments for civil works made to the respective villages have been made only after thorough verification by the third party inspection agency (TPIA) and duly certified by the district deputy commissioner.
Therefore, the department said the Lotha Hoho’s claim that JJM was a complete failure with almost zero implementation were “factually not correct and misleading to the public in general.” Further, the department informed that JJM was an ongoing scheme and covered only rural areas and not towns and municipalities. On the issue of “actual delivery of water supply to the villagers (targeted consumers) are almost nil”, under JJM programme, PHED Wokha division said that the department after creating the assets and successfully conducting the trial runs, hands over the completed schemes to the village council and WATSAN as per the Ministry guidelines.
It stated that the operation, maintenance, sustenance and supply of water was the sole responsibility of the community partners (village authority) as per the JIM guidelines and Nagaland Communitisation of Public Institutions and Services Act, 2002 after handing over the assets.
In this regard, the division has stated that all information of works implemented by the WATSAN and the department under JJM & SBM can be verified from the divisional office.