Team News Riveting
Raipur, June 15
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai Saturday directed the officials to accelerate the Jal Jeevan Mission’s initiatives to ensure 100 per cent coverage of providing pure drinking water supply via pipelines to every household in the state at the earliest.
While chairing the review meeting of the public health engineering (PHE) department, he said since the rainy season was approaching, the maintenance and repair works of the water supply systems should be completed soon. He also asked to start the training programmes for ‘Nal Jal Mitras’ to be appointed in villages under the Jal Jeevan Mission, utilizing skill development centers, without further delay.
The Chief Minister said the department should also send the proposals on priority for new recruitments to increase the technical staff. He also called for widespread publicity of the PHE department’s toll-free number 1800-233-0008 to promptly address drinking water-related complaints. He emphasized the importance of effective implementation of public welfare schemes at the grassroots level.
Sai directed to expedite the work of 71 multi-village schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission, specifically targeting villages grappling with issues like saline water, heavy elements in groundwater, and declining water levels. The multi-village schemes, initiated across 18 districts of the state, represent a significant investment totalling Rs 4527 crore. The projects aim to provide pure drinking water to 3234 villages, benefiting over 10 lakh households with clean and safe water delivered through pipelines.
During the review meeting, Deputy Chief Minister and Public Health Engineering Minister Arun Sao highlighted the necessity of promptly formulating an operation-maintenance policy for sustaining the drinking water systems in Jal Jeevan Mission villages. He stressed the importance of constructing essential infrastructure through MNREGA to recharge water sources. Sao urged the Chief Minister to approve new multi-village schemes funded by the state for villages facing challenges where groundwater sources are not available for drinking water supply, suggesting financing options through CSR or DMF. Besides, he pointed out the urgency of procuring new drilling machines to expedite the installation of tube wells within the department.
The Chief Minister has been reviewing the works of different departments, aimed at enhancing good governance, ensuring effective scheme implementation, and strengthening departmental operations across the state.
