Piped drinking water supply through tap would be provided by July, 2022 to every household in the state through Jal Javeen Mission, which is being implemented in the State. This was stated by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while interacting with the beneficiaries of Jal Jeevan Mission through video conferencing from Shimla today.Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Jal Jeevan Mission on 15th August, 2019 with the provision of Rs. 3.5 lakh crore which envisages to provide functional household tap connection to every rural household by 2024 in the country. He said that there are 1704231 households in the State, out of which 1,61,102 households have been provided with tap water during the year 2019-20. He said that till date under various programmes 11 lakh households had been provided with tapped water and a target has been fixed to provide tapped water to 2,44,351 households during the current financial year.Jai Ram Thakur said that Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a front runner State in the country in effective implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that Himachal Pradesh has got national recognition by providing fully functional household tapped water connection in Tashigang village in Lahaul Spiti district which is situated about 14000 feet above sea level. He said that under the Jal Jeevan Mission better quality of water was being ensured besides providing drinking water taps in every Anganwari and Educational Institutions.
Chief Minister said that hundred percent coverage had been ensured in whole of the Lahaul-Spiti district, Kandaghat Development Block of Solan district and Pooh Development Block of Kinnaur district under the mission. He said that 89 percent households had been covered in Kinnaur district, 81 percent households in Solan district, 74 percent in Bilaspur district, 72 percent in Hamirpur district, 67 percent in Mandi district, 62 percent in Kangra district, 50 percent each in Shimla and Kullu districts and 45 percent in Chamba district.Jai Ram Thakur said that Jal Shakti Department has worked effectively even during the Covid-19 pandemic which ensured that desired targets were achieved within stipulated time period.Chief Minister also interacted with beneficiaries of all the 12 districts of the State, who thanked the Chief Minister for effectively implementing the scheme to provide tapped water to every rural household.Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur while welcoming the Chief Minister thanked him for envisaging interest in overall functioning of the department. He assured the Chief Minister that Himachal Pradesh would become first State in the country in providing tapped water by mid of 2022.Secretary Jal Shakti Department Amitabh Awasthi welcomed the Chief Minister.Engineer-in-Chief Jal Shakti Department Naveen Puri presented vote of thanks.MLA Jhandutta Jeet Ram Katwal was present at Shimla whereas Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers of Jal Shakti Department joined the meeting through video conferencing from their respective districts.