Itanagar, Mar 31: The 16th Apex Committee State Water & Sanitation Mission (SWSM) meeting under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar at the Civil Secretariat today. Manoj Kumar Sahoo, Director (JJM-I), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India participated in the meeting through Video Conferencing.
Jal Jeevan Mission is one of the most ambitious programmes of the Government of India envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. However, in a major push, Government of Arunachal Pradesh is aiming to achieve the target by 31st March 2023, a year ahead of the national target of 2024 to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) across the State.
The Chief Secretary thanked the Ministry of Jal Shakti for its continued support in implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the State which has resulted in the achievement of 38.07% as compared to the National Average of 21.07% (Har Ghar Jal Village), and Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) coverage of 64.54 % as compared to the National Average of 48.40 %. Approximately 53000 households are left to be connected under the FHTC.
The Chief Secretary informed the Director JJM-I that the Government of Arunachal Pradesh is committed to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 31st March 2023.
Going by the pace of the current coverage of the Jal Jeevan Mission, Kumar suggested that the PHE & WS Department should set 31st December 2022 as the new target for achieving 100 per cent coverage under the JJM in Arunachal Pradesh i.e. 3 months prior to its own set target of 31st March 2023. In order to achieve the new target, it was decided that the members will meet every 45 days to review the status of the JJM.
The Chief Secretary reviewing the physical plan and achievement of 2021-22 of the Jal Jeevan Mission felt that there is a dire need of a serious action plan with regard to drinking water supply connections at Schools and Anganwadi Centres. Total number of Schools to be connected with Water supply is 697, and 2277 Anganwadi Centres are yet to be connected with drinking water supply.
He further directed the PHE & WS and PRI Departments to explore the possibility of adopting similar projects like that of the Egam Basar Nature Project on source rejuvenation in the districts.
The Chief Secretary also asked the PHE & WS and the Education department to work out on a plan where students of class 5, 6 and 7 shall be taken to their nearest Water Treatment Plant as a part of an exposure tour to know the water supply system.
In order to maintain the quality of the water, the Chief Secretary informed the Director JJM-I that the PHE& WS Department will obtain National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation for the State Laboratory and 10 nos. of District Laboratories within this year.
Commissioner Planning P.S. Lokhande, Commissioner WCD & Education P. Singla, Secretary PHE&WS Rinchin Tashi, Secretary RD & PR A. Talwade, Chief Engineer (WZ)  Toko Jyoti, Mission Director JJM Arunachal Pradesh T. Basar and others were present in the meeting.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
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