1,165 villages in Meghalaya have 100 per cent tap water connections

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 17, 2023

The Ministry of Jal Shakti, through its Jal Jeevan Mission program, has provided tap water connections to 2.82 lakh households (as on January 13, 2023), i.e. 44.45 per cent households have tap water supply in Meghalaya. The number has increased from just 4,550 households since the inception of the program.

As on January 13, 2023, 1,165 villages in Meghalaya have 100 per cent tap water connections. Furthermore, water and sanitation committees (VWSC) have been formed in nearly all the villages. 1165-gram panchayats and 1,165 villages have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in the State.

The Jal Jeevan Mission in Meghalaya has made significant strides in increasing access to safe and clean drinking water in the State. The mission’s focus on sustainable and community-led solutions has ensured that the benefits of the program are felt by all members of society, particularly the most marginalized.

Jal Jeevan Mission has provided a definite roadmap to the State to provide clean, potable water to its citizens in their houses, so that the women and girls are unburdened from the chore of fetching clean water over long distances. Overall, the Jal Jeevan Mission is proving to be a vital step towards achieving the goal of water security for all citizens.

With focus on public health, more than 2,000 water quality testing laboratories in the country have been opened to the general public so that they can get their water samples tested whenever they so desire at a nominal cost. As of December 2022, Meghalaya has 30 active water testing laboratories.

In the last eight years, the Government of India has launched numerous welfare schemes that have empowered women and made them lead India’s development journey. Walking long distances to fetch water for daily consumption has now become history as households across the county can get tap water connections in their homes under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Jal Jeevan Mission is a flagship program launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
August 2019, which aims to provide all rural households with tap water supply in adequate
quantity & of prescribed quality by 2024.

As on January 16, 2023, over 10.88 crore households have been provided tap water connections. Further, 125 districts, 1528 blocks, 82,354 panchayats and 1, 51, 442 villages have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’.